Space for Earth

China has begun the construction of an ultra-low orbit satellite constellation, according to the developer China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). CASIC disclosed this on Wednesday at the 9th China (International) Commercial Aerospace Forum in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, according to the local media. The constellation will reportedly comprise 300 communications and remote-sensing satellites orbiting the globe, providing a global ultrafast response capability within 15 minutes.

Impact Observatory, a US-based space observation system company, announced on the 5th of July that it has entered into a partnership with Planet Labs PBC, a provider of daily data and insights around the world. The partnership uses AI-powered analytics to monitor land cover and land use (LULC) on top of Planet Lab’s high-frequency, medium- and high-resolution satellite data. 

Scorpius Space Launch Company (SSLC), a US-based space systems manufacturer, is examining using liquid methane as a propellant, highlighting its environmental benefits and potential to revolutionise aerospace. It is providing the all-composite tank technology that it has pioneered since the early 2000’s under its trademark PRESSURMAXX.

Impact Observatory has partnered with Planet Labs to use AI-powered analytics to monitor land cover and land use (LULC) on top of Planet’s high-frequency, medium- and high-resolution satellite data. Automated analytics are core to helping customers better understand changes and anticipate threats at previously unobtainable speed and scale

In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global contributor Remco Timmermans spoke with Einar Bjørgo,  Director, United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT)at GLOC - the Global Space Conference on Climate Change in Oslo in May 2023 about the center, the role of UNOSAT and the ways of activation. The Global Space Conference on Climate Change was co-organized by IAF, the International Astronautical Federation, and the Norwegian Space Agency.

OQ Technology has won an ESA € 1.1 Million contract to design, build, integrate, test and demonstrate three advanced nanosatellites. The satellites will feature multiple payloads providing space-based 5G narrowband internet-of-things communications services and optical communications link. Furthermore, they will include hyperspectral Earth observation data to support precision agriculture as part of the ERMIS mission.

The European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA), as of 1 July, will begin operating the Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) Front Desk, following a European Commission’s Decision of 3 June 2022. This follows the European Union's objective to take a holistic approach to Space Traffic Management to address the issue of space congestion.

This Space Café WebTalk will feature Dr. Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency - ESA, in conversation with Dr. Emma Gatti, Editor-in-Chief of SpaceWatch.Global. For over four decades, the European Space Agency (ESA), alongside its member states and associated industries, has been instrumental in spearheading numerous triumphs in European space exploration. To keep pace with changing circumstances, ESA has deftly refined its rules, procedures, and governance structure. Its demonstrated flexibility in adapting as needed constitutes a valuable asset.

AIRMO, an American start-up providing close to real-time data on CH4 and CO2 emissions, announced its pre-seed round of €5.2 million. The round consists of money from investors as well as a €3.7 million contract by the European Space Agency through its InCubed co-funding program run by the ESA Φ-lab. This pre-seed round will enable AIRMO to launch its first of twelve satellites into orbit. 

Our Space Café “33 minutes with Kevin O’Connell – from zombie statistics to the trillion-dollar space economy” took place on Tuesday, 27th June. Kevin O’Connell has had a diverse career in many sectors in commerce and intelligence. He has spent over three decades working on space commercialisation, including in his role as the Director of the Office of Space commerce with the US Department of Commerce.