North America

Rocket Lab has signed a dedicated launch contract with Astroscale Japan to launch the Active Debris Removal by the Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J) satellite. A subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc., Astroscale is solely dedicated to on-orbit servicing across all orbits.

This Space Café WebTalk will feature Mike Simmons, lead and founder of a diverse range of astronomy programs and organizations, in conversation with Markus Payer, editor-in-chief of SpaceWatch.Global. Astronomy: The Overview Effect for the Rest of Us

NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) is planned to land near the western edge of the Nobile Crater at the Moon’s South Pole, NASA said. The mission, starting in 2023, will map and explore the region for water and other resources.

As part of the partnership between SpaceWatch.Global and Orbital Gateway Consulting we have been granted permission to publish selected articles and texts. We are pleased to present “Dongfang Hour China Aerospace News Roundup 13 - 19 September 2021”. A special shout-out to our friends at SpaceWatch.Global

This Space Café WebTalk will feature Robin Geiss, director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), in conversation with Torsten Kriening, publisher of SpaceWatch.Global. Live from the Outer Space Security Conference 2021.

SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, Resilience, touched down in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida on Saturday. The spacecraft carried the four members of the Inspiration4 mission safely back to Earth after spending three days in LEO. SpaceX loaded the capsule onto its recovery ship in less than an hour so that the crew could exit.

The Italian Space Agency (ASI) cooperates with Quascom and NASA to launch project NEIL to experiment satellite-based positioning on the lunar surface, ASI reports. Project NEIL (Navigation Early Investigation on Lunar surface) is linked to NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Service mission.

SpaceWatch.Global has been granted permission to publish this "Four Misconceptions About Ocean Weather Forecasts", originally published 10 September 2021 at Spire Blog by Maureen Thom. Water never sits still. Earth’s water cycle keeps water moving from place to place and from one form to another

In September 2021 the UN COPUOS Legal Subcommittee announced the creation of a working group on Space Resources. SpaceWatch.Global contributor Antonino Salmeri had the chance to talk with Ambassador Andrzej  Misztal and Professor Steven Freeland about this working group. 

For decades, space has been one of the critical assets for military operations. In fact, space technology is a product of defense industry that needed an upgrade in technological capabilities for various military operations since the early 1940s. The transition of Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) application from aerial photography to satellite imagery