Space

On November 16, 2023, ispace, inc. from Japan unveiled the final design of its micro rover, which will be transported to the surface of the Moon by its lunar lander as part of exploration activities during Mission 2. This mission 2, part of the HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program, will serve as the company’s second technological demonstration, with the objective of further validating the lander’s design and technology, and ispace’s business model, to provide reliable lunar transportation and data services.

Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded a Command-and-Control System Consolidated (CCS-C) Sustainment and Resiliency (C-SAR) contract to Kratos Defense and Security Solutions to provide U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command satellite control capabilities and directly support the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) III, Milstar Satellite Communications System, Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF), and Wideband Global Satellite (WGS) satellite systems.

Satellogic Inc. has received a remote sensing license from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) as part of Satellogic’s strategy to capitalize on high-value opportunities in the U.S. The license results in Satellogic being subject to NOAA’s oversight as Satellogic pivots operational control of its satellite constellation to its U.S. personnel and expands the Satellogic ground station network to include U.S.-based ground stations. Furthermore, The license followed a NOAA and inter-agency review of the Satellogic constellation assessing national security, foreign policy, and U.S. international risks and obligations.

The German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has announced the winners of the three competitions that matched the theme of the second National Small Satellite Conference in Berlin – the Microlauncher Payload Competition, the Small Satellite Competition and the Small Satellite Payload Competition. The German Government launched the 'Small Satellite Initiative' to strengthen the German space industry and promote small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and, in particular, start-ups in the field of small satellites.

The European Space Agency has announced the successful hot-fire test of the Ariane-6 rocket, passing a major full-scale rehearsal in preparation for its first flight. The teams on the ground went through a complete launch countdown followed by a seven-minute full firing of the core stage’s engine, as it would fire on a launch into space. The trial, using a test model on the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, was the longest ‘full-stack' run yet for Ariane 6’s lower liquid propulsion module with a Vulcain 2.1 engine.

SWISSto12 and ESA are developing the HummingSat range of satellites under the ARTES Partnership Project. The program aims for SWISSto12 to capture a significant part of the expanding global market of small and flexible geostationary satellites.

The UK Space Command and the UK Space Agency have announced the award of a contract to Spaceflux to build a new ground-based space camera-telescope system in Cyprus to monitor objects in geostationary orbit, approximately 36,000km above Earth’s equator. the telescope's mission will be to provide position information on UK satellites, helping to prevent collisions, protect critical space assets, and enhance the UK’s Space Domain Awareness (SDA).

In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Richard Lochhead, Member of the Scottish Parliament and Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade just before the Space Tech Expo Europe in Bremen. Torsten and Minister Lochhead spoke about the space industry in Scotland. Mr Lochhead highlights the rapid growth and impact of the space sector in Scotland, particularly in manufacturing small satellites. He mentions the presence of companies like Spire, AAC Clyde Space, and Mangata, which contribute to Scotland's reputation as a satellite manufacturing hub.

In the most recent episode of “Space Café BeNeLux”, our host Dr. Heike Poignand, welcomed Kees Buijsrogge, Director High Tech for Civil & Military Space at TNO to an open discussion around the delicate topic how space technology is key for Europe’s sovereignty? The conversation highlighted the significance of space in Europe's sovereignty, the methods employed to achieve it—such as programs like IRIS²—and the integral role space plays in our daily life, impacting innovation and competitiveness, that are crucial especially for smaller nations like The Netherlands.

Azercosmos, the Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on space cooperation. The MoU envisages Brazil-Azerbaijan collaboration in space science, technology, and application and will serve as an instrument to establish a framework for future cooperation in the domain of outer space