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The UK Space Agency’s Head of Space Exploration, Libby Jackson, and Professor Terry Moore, Emeritus Professor of the University of Nottingham, both received an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the honors. The OBEs recognize the achievements and service of extraordinary people across the UK.

President Biden has signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act into law and finalized funding for the 2023 financial year. The Act will see the disbursement of $1.7 trillion to fund the departments and agencies executing space programs. These include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The United States Department of Defense (DOD), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The budget will run till September 30, 2023.

In this special Space Café Radio in german language, three members of our SpaceWatch.Global team, Torsten Kriening, Andreas Schepers, and Chiara Moenter and special guest Daniel Finger, discuss the importance and role of space communication. This conversation took place during the final days of this year’s ILA Berlin which is the largest aerospace trade show in Germany which took place June 22 – 26, 2022.

In this Space Café Radio in german language – SpaceWatch.Global Event coordinator and Space Café Young Global Talents Host Chiara Moenter spoke with Sabine von der Recke, head of the Berlin office of the space company OHB. The interview was conducted during this year’s ILA Berlin, which is the largest aerospace trade show in Germany which took place June 22 – 26.

In this Space Café Radio in german language – SpaceWatch.Global Event coordinator and Space Café Young Global Talents Host Chiara Moenter spoke with Thomas Reiter, a retired European astronaut, former Brigadier General in the German Air Force, and Advisor to the Director General at the European Space Agency. The interview was conducted during this year’s ILA Berlin, the largest aerospace trade show in Germany, which took place June 22 – 26, 2022.

Microsoft Corp. and Viasat have signed a new partnership to help deliver internet access to 10 million people globally, including 5 million across Africa. Viasat is the first satellite partner to work with Microsoft’s Airband Initiative. As a result, they will deepen Airband’s work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States, and prioritize expanding the program to Egypt, Senegal, and Angola to deliver much-needed internet connection, often for the first time.

Iridium Communications announced the service introduction of Iridium Messaging Transport (IMT), a two-way cloud-native networked data service optimized for use over Iridium Certus. The technology is designed to make it easier to add satellite connections to both existing and new IoT solutions, the company said. 

On 13 January 2023, the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf, and European and Swedish political dignitaries will visit Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden to cut the ribbon of a new spaceport. The new spaceport, which saw years of preparation and construction, will significantly reshape the European space landscape. The event will take place in Kiruna in conjunction with Sweden taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

NASA awarded a contract to Collins Aerospace, aerospace and defense company, Raytheon Technologies’ business, along with space exploration technology provider, ILC Dover, and global technology company, Oceaneering, to design, develop and demonstrate the next-generation International Space Station (ISS) spacesuit. Collins said this was its first task order under NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) contract awarded in May. 

Thales Alenia Space and Space Cargo Unlimited have announced the signing of the first phase contract for the conception and production of “REV1”, the first floating space factory, and the opening of a Space Cargo Unlimited subsidiary in Turin. Founded in 2014. As project contractor, Thales Alenia Space will be responsible for designing, engineering, and developing the REV1 vehicle. Likewise, Space Cargo Unlimited will be the owner and commercial operator of the vehicle.