Space

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is currently undergoing final checks after a successful arrival at the ESA launch Facility in Kourou French Guiana. Its launch is still scheduled for 18th December 2021, on an Ariane 5 rocket. The operational preparations of the world’s largest and most complex space science observatory will take two months in total.

First Eutelsat´s Belmer, then Intelsat´s Spengler: the CEO of the satellite operator Intelsat, Stephen Spengler, decided to step down and retire, the company said. “Stephen Spengler has decided to retire as CEO upon the Company’s emergence from its financial restructuring process and the naming of a successor”, Intelsat said. “Until that time, Spengler will continue as CEO and lead Intelsat

Three new directors, two more women on board: the European Space Agency (ESA) has appointed Géraldine Naja, Simonetta Cheli, and Francisco-Javier Benedicto Ruiz as new directors at its helm, the agency said. Géraldine Naja has been appointed to the new position of Director of Commercialisation, Industry and Procurement (D/CIP), based at ESA Headquarters in Paris as of 1 November 2021.

This Space Café Scotland will feature movers and shakers from the Scottish Space Ecosystem in conversation with Angela Mathis, CEO of ThinkTank Maths and a friend of SpaceWatch.Global. Scotland’s vision for New and Sustainable Space. Angela Mathis will explore the new Scottish Space Strategy with Craig Clark, the newly elected Chairperson of Scotland Space / Scottish Space Leadership Council.

The UAE Space Agency announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Israel Space Agency to intensify cooperation in scientific research, space exploration and knowledge transfer. The agreement aims to accelerate economic growth and human progress.  

The Scottish Space Strategy to achieve a £4 billion share of the global space market for the Scottish economy, was launched at Expo 2020 Dubai yesterday. The Strategy aims to make Scotland an end-to-end space system provider.  Scotland’s space sector is currently specialised in satellite and rocket manufacturing, launch facilities and research and data analysis.

The CEO of Eutelsat, Rodolphe Belmer, will leave the satellite operator at the end of this year and become CEO of the IT firm Atos, the company said yesterday. Belmer will replace 43-year old Elie Girard who suffered a row of setbacks this year that sent the company’s share price down

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the China Manned Space Agency accepted In Quattro’s two-phase flow cooling system as one of nine scientific projects planned for the China Space Station (CSS) in 2022, In Quattro announced. All experiments are focused on developing capabilities in space science and technology to achieve sustainable development goals.

For the 80th edition of Space Café, SpaceWatch.Global Publisher Torsten Kriening caught up with Dr. Agnieszka Lukaszczyk, a Brussels based space policy expert who is a Vice President of Governmental Affairs EMEA at Planet, a global satellite imagery and insights provider. Well regarded in the space sector, the Polish-American policy expert previously worked for the European Commission,

His Serene Highness Prince Albert II has approved the establishment of the Office of Space Affairs in Monaco. The creation of the new entity will “reinforce the attractiveness of the sovereign State in a new area,” said Frédéric Genta, interministerial delegate.