Space for Earth News

On the 26th of January 2024, 118 marine conservation and environmental organizations signed a petition asking Iridium to stop producing their Short Burst Data (SBD) modules, real-time GPS tracking devices, because such service is used in dFADs, short for drifting fish aggregating devices, fishing tools scientifically proven to be environmentally harmful. Iridium’s answer acknowledged the potential issue, but declined the criticism. Whether the responsibility lies in the hands of the satellite tracking service providers, or with wholesale satellite network operators such as Iridium, it’s the first crack in a canvas painted by a domain that refuses to accept and take action upon a bitter reality: Space-based technology is dual-use in every sense, and the extreme efficiency and power of our services can, is and will be used for crimes against the environment, if not thoroughly regulated.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected Dana Weigel as the International Space Station (ISS) Program manager, based at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Weigel succeeds Joel Montalbano, who has accepted a position as deputy associate administrator for the Agency’s Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Both positions will be effective April 7.

In this Space Café Radio Frontier episode, SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Dr. Ana Pires, a geosciences researcher at the Centre for Robotics and Autonomous Systems|CRAS in INESCTEC, Portugal, and the Co-Lead of CAMões Crew Zero.

The UK Space Agency has opened two new funding calls worth £15 million, one for science and another for technology demonstrators. The calls are in preparation for a tentative agreement to fly a team of four British astronauts on a commercially sponsored mission, potentially to the International Space Station (ISS). The announcement follows the Memorandum of Understanding the UKSA and Axiom Space signed in October 2023, which outlined the plans to pursue a commercially-sponsored UK astronaut mission and an initial request for ideas for science and technology.

Aldoria has announced a project agreement with SES on a conjunction alert service aimed at enhancing satellite safety. Beginning March 1, 2024, Aldoria will consequently commence a three-month Project Agreement with SES. Under this agreement, Aldoria will offer its conjunction alert service, which provides satellite operators with advanced tools to track their satellites, identify potential collision risks, and receive timely alerts through conjunction data messages (CDM).

The European Space Agency (ESA) has given the green light for the realization of the Dutch TANGO satellites with ISISPACE as the prime contractor. TANGO (Twin Anthropogenic Greenhouse gas Observers) comprises two satellites flying in tandem. It will be a unique European measurement system that will determine methane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions for individual industrial plants. Furthermore, it measures greenhouse gas emissions at source level from power plants, coal mines, landfills and factories, among others

Unseenlabs has announced its satellite fleet expansion and will consequently be launching two new satellites, the new unseenlabs bro-12 and bro-13 satellites. The satellites will tentatively launch in March as part of the transporter-10 mission aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket via Exolaunch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Sateliot, an operator of a Low-Earth Orbit 5G Internet of Things (IoT) satellite constellation acting as a seamless roaming extension of cellular networks, has achieved 5G service messaging connection via the Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) commercial network, KSATlite, together with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Sateliot's LEO satellite constellation seamlessly integrates with KSAT's advanced ground network services, creating a robust system that ensures reliability, scalability, and global coverage.

ClearSpace has secured a contract with the UK Space Agency (UKSA) to investigate the feasibility of an in-orbit satellite refuelling mission, an exciting new market for in-orbit services. The REFUEL.ME study, which will run until September 2024, will involve the establishment of the key mission requirements and the definition of the mission concept of operations, leading to an initial design of the servicer satellite and a review of the sizeable market potential.

Before the 60th Munich Security Conference, Publisher and CEO Torsten Kriening talked with Ernst K. Pfeiffer, CEO of HPS GmbH, about space #security and space debris. Ernst gives an update on the recent United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) SSA Workshop and the Space Debris Conference in Riyadh by the Saudi Space Agency.