Space

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has announced it has set a return-to-launch window for its Electron launch vehicle. As a result, the Company will return to the pad at Launch Complex 1 with a dedicated Electron mission for Japan-based Earth imaging company iQPS (Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc.) during a launch window which opens on November 28th, 2023 and extends into December.

Bulgaria has become the 32nd signatory to the Artemis Accords after Milena Stoycheva, the Bulgarian minister of innovation and growth, signed the accords. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also participated in a signing ceremony, which took place on Thursday, 9 November. Also participating in the event at NASA Headquarters in Washington were NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Georgi Panayotov, ambassador of Bulgaria to the United States and Sonata Coulter, deputy assistant secretary, U.S. Department of State.

The European Space Agency (ESA), Airbus Defense and Space, and Voyager Space have signed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the ESA Space Summit in Seville, outlining their collaboration for the Starlab space station in the post-International Space Station era. The MoU outlines that the parties intend to foster science and technology development and explore the potential for collaboration in conjunction with post-International Space Station low-Earth orbit (LEO) destinations.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has established the "Zero Debris Charter" with the aim of moving towards space safety and sustainability and fostering a community of proactive actors working collectively towards jointly defined ambitions. The charter comes after ESA Member States encouraged the Agency to implement “a Zero Debris approach for its missions and to encourage partners and other actors to pursue similar paths. 

'Space is a shared frontier, not a race.' Wise words from Mani Thiru, head of Space and satellites for Amazon Web Services across Asia Pacific. Mani discusses with Dr Emma Gatti the civil society's role in the space sector, and dives deep into the balance between space progress and sustainability. Watch it now!

Join us in paradise! From the beautiful Maldives, Dr Emma Gatti interviewed Joan Chesoni from the Kenyan Space Agency. Learn about Joan's role and her vision for an inclusive and unified space sector.

SpaceWatch.Global is pleased to present: The Space Café Podcast #93: From CubeSats to Life's Curveballs: Tyvak’s Margherita Cardi Unpacks the Unscripted Lessons of ESA’s HERA Mission. Join us in this inspiring episode of Space Cafe as Markus Mooslechner chats with Margherita Cardi, whose role in the HERA mission to build the Milani CubeSat as the Vice President of Programs at Turin-based Tyvak underscores the essence of adaptability in both space missions and daily life.

European Space Imaging (EUSI) and Pixxel have announced a strategic partnership that will give users unparalleled access to the world's "most detailed hyperspectral imagery" from Pixxel directly through EUSI. Together with EUSI’s capability to build insights and products, the partnership has the potential to set a new benchmark in remote sensing applications in the region. Furthermore, the offering from EUSI aims to solidify the Company's position as a hub for EO data in the region, as customers can now acquire Pixxel’s hyperspectral dataset in addition to world-leading optical and SAR imagery, all from a single source.

In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Dr Pascal Faucher, Chairman of European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking (EU SST), Defense and Security, CNES, at the Software Defined Space Conference - SDSC in Tallinn, Estonia, beginning November 2023. In the interview, Pascal outlines the strategic imperative for Europe to enhance synergies between its civil and defense sectors to ensure a competitive edge in the space industry, especially given resource limitations.

Viasat, Inc. has successfully supported the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) Air Mobility Command (AMC) during a major military exercise, Mobility Guardian 2023 (MG23), involving 3,000 personnel and 70 aircraft from the U.S. and Allied Forces. One of the biggest of the year, the Air Force exercise featured complex test flights and operational scenarios across 3,000 miles of the Pacific region, including over Japan, Australia, and Hawaii. U.S allies also participating in the exercise included Canada, France, New Zealand, and the U.K.