Space

Firefly Aerospace, a launch, spacecraft, and in-space services company, has announced the addition of Chris Emerson, a seasoned industry leader with decades of aerospace expertise, to the Company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately

The US Space Command (Spacecom) tracks over 47,000 objects in space currently, which responsibility is planned to be transferred to the Department of Commerce, the US Department of Defence said. The transfer of responsibility will allow Spacecom to focus on what is happening in Earth’s orbits.

On-orbit servicing provider Astroscale, has contracted RHEATECH, part of engineering and solutions company RHEA Group, to provide the mission control system and operations automation for its End-of-Life Services by Astroscale Multiple Client (ELSA-M) servicer, the companies said. The partnership builds on the duo previous collaboration on the ELSA-d (ELSA-demonstrator) debris removal spacecraft. 

The first Omani satellite, Aman, has been successfully integrated with Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket, awaiting to be deployed into low Earth orbit, by Virgin from Newquay, Cornwall, UK. LauncherOne is already on the launch site, awaiting its launch license from the British government. This will be the first launch from UK soil and the first international launch for Virgin.

Our Space Café WebTalk “33 minutes with Paul Liias - Why should you go to Tallinn, Estonia in October?” Took place on Tuesday, 18th October. Paul is Head of Space Policy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication. He created the Estonian Space Policy and Program 2020-2027 and he is currently working on Estonian national space legislation and a decentralized e-government solution for Space Traffic Management.

The space sector has completely changed in the past few years. France is now the driving force behind the European space sector (albeit more for its purposes rather than for shared European goals), and Germany, apparently distracted by national rearmament, is still determined to defend its ambitions, so as not to completely leave the ground to Paris. In the face of all this, what is Italy’s position? Further apart, it appears.

The European Space Agency-built (ESA) Ariane 6 heavy-lift launch system’s inaugural flight is only to be expected by Q4 2023 instead of the original plan of early 2023, ESA said. Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s Director General stressed however, that this was merely a planned date, which might have to be amended. Several key milestones will have to be achieved is a timely manner, for it to become reality, he added.

Space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) and Mission-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider Kleos Space, has been awarded a contract from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) as part of the Strategic Commercial Enhancements Broad Agency Announcement (SCE BAA) Framework, Kleos said.

SSC has disclosed an agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) for data reception support of the Biomass satellite scheduled for launch in late 2023 to explore and gather vital data about the Earth’s forests.

In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global Editor in chief Emma Gatti spoke with Anousheh Ansari, the CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation,  the first astronaut of Iranian descent in space, first Muslim woman in space, and one of the first private astronauts to go to space as well. Emma sat down with Anousheh at this years  4th Secure World Foundation Summit for Space Sustainability to discuss the goals of her foundation, the new frontiers she is trying to break to help humanity to thrive, and the deep meaning of Space exploration for all.