XpressSAR Inc. of Arlington, Virginia and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to purchase from IAI a constellation of up to four TecSAR synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites along with associated support services for launch, in-orbit testing, commissioning, and establishing ground operations to control the constellation.
Read More »Arianespace Successfully Launches Morocco’s Mohammed VI-B EO Satellite
Arianespace has successfully launched the MOHAMMED VI-B Earth observation satellite, developed for the Kingdom of Morocco by a consortium comprising Thales Alenia Space as system prime contractor and Airbus as co-prime. Arianespace’s ninth launch of the year, and the second using Vega in 2018, took place on Tuesday, November 20, …
Read More »Future Space Wars: Japan To Create Military SSA Unit, Incorporate AI Into Self-Defence Forces
The Japanese government will establish a command centre within the Self-Defence Forces (SDF) to monitor space debris and traffic in Earth orbit as well as to carry out surveillance on foreign satellites as they orbit over Japanese territory.
Read More »China’s New Space Race: LandSpace Technology Launch Company Gets $43 Million In Series B Funding
Chinese New Space satellite launch company LandSpace Technology announced on 20 November 2018 that it has received 300 million Yuan (U.S.$43 million) in a just-completed Series B funding round, according to Chinese news platform Weixin.
Read More »UAE To Train Bahraini Space Experts Under New Cooperation Agreement
The United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) has signed a Declaration of Principles with Bahrain's National Space Science Agency (NSSA), and the UAE’s Khalifa University (KU), for the training of the Bahrain Space Team.
Read More »Eutelsat Taps Airbus For Two Satellites Covering Europe, North Africa, And Middle East
Eutelsat has ordered two new satellites from Airbus Defence and Space to replace the three existing HOTBIRD satellites at its 13° East flagship neighbourhood. These all-electric high-power satellites are set to enter into service in 2022, serving Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Read More »Middle East Space And Satellite News Roundup For November 2018
It has been a busy few weeks in the Middle Eastern satellite and space sector, with developments and activities taking place from Morocco to Iran, and all points in between. The following is a roundup of the regional space and satellite news that was not previously covered in-depth by SpaceWatch.MiddleEast.
Read More »Australia’s CSIRO Boosts Earth Observation And AI Budgets
Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has announced it is investing AUS$35 million (U.S.$25.5 million) in space technology and Artificial Intelligence development.
Read More »France’s CNES, ESA, And CapDecisif Management Kickoff CosmiCapital Fund For European New Space
The French national space agency, the Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES), in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) and CapDecisif Management, has created a venture fund called CosmiCapital to help create a European New Space ecosystem. The CosmiCapital fund, launched by the CNES in May 2018 and managed by …
Read More »ESA Pioneering Use Of Virtual And Augmented Reality In Space
What do astronauts, Pokemon, wildlife park rangers, and surgeons all have in common? The answer is virtual and augmented reality, or VR and AR. Usually associated with video games, this ultra-immersive technology is quickly being recognised for its real-world potential. VR is a computer-generated environment that simulates physical presence and …
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