Space

Episode 064 features a special guest: Dr. Annie Handmer. A strange object in Low Earth orbit that seems to belong to no one and an even stranger business model with Earth observation satellites are among the topics in the brand new episode of the Space Cafe Podcast. Space Junk podcaster and Senior Manager for Innovation and Policy at HEO Robotics is our guest in the studio.

As part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Earth observation FutureEO programme, the agency selected Harmony as the tenth Earth Explorer research mission to help better understand the transport and exchanges of energy and matter within Earth’s complex dynamic system, ESA said.

The European Space Agency (ESA) selected Moon company Astrobotic, and NewSpace start-up Lunar Logistics Services (LLS), to fly the LandCam-X innovative landing sensor camera to the Moon in 2024 on Astrobotic’s Griffin Mission One (GM1). The contract will be the first ever commercial delivery to the Moon procured by ESA.

British Earth observation company, Satellite Vu has signed a second SpaceX launch contract to launch its second satellite, doubling its thermal data collection capacity, the company said.

The European Space Agency (ESA) and satellite operator SES, signed a contract with support from the European Commission for the development of Eagle-1, Europe’s first space-based quantum key distribution satellite system, the companies announced at a press conference at the International Astronautical Congress 2022 in Paris last week. 

Satellite manufacturer Reflex Aerospace, and space-tech company HPS (High Performance Space Structure Systems), signed a letter of intent to prevent space debris, the companies announced. According to the agreement, Reflex will remove all its satellites from orbit at the end of their operational life.

 The UK Space Agency granted a €1.9 million funding boost to the UK and European subsidiary of on-orbit servicing company Astroscale, to continue developing its space debris removal technology, the firm said. This next phase of the Cleaning Outer Space Mission through Innovative Capture (COSMIC)

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), the world’s first planetary defense technology demonstration successfully impacted its asteroid target 10 months after launch, NASA said. The mission attempted to move asteroid Dimorphos off its orbit.

The Prague Security Studies Institute (PSSI), has the pleasure to present Space Cafè Radio - PSSI Space Security Mini-Series, a radio series focused on allied preparedness to face the rapidly changing space domain. PSSI is a non-profit non-governmental public policy organisation founded in 2002 and based in Prague. In space, PSSI emphasizes emerging threats and available policy solutions.

Human spaceflight services provider Axiom Space, has signed an agreement with the Saudi Space Commission (SSC) for a future flight opportunity no earlier than 2023, Axiom said. Under the agreement, Axiom will train Saudi astronauts for human spaceflight and conducting scientific research in space.