Space

Fugro's Space Automation, AI and Robotics Control Complex (SpAARC) in Perth, Western Australia (WA), is to receive an additional AUD 5 million in funding from the WA Government. Roger Cook, the WA Premier, made the announcement at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth on the morning of the opening of IPSEC 2023, Perth’s Indo-Pacific Space and Earth Conference for leaders in space and cross-sector technologies.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the first in a series of test flights in line with the development of the Gaganyaan Mission to send Indian astronauts into space in 2025. The Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (or TV-D1) aimed to demonstrate its Crew Escape System (CES), whether the crew aboard the rocket could safely escape it in case it malfunctioned. The successful launch will consequently facilitate other uncrewed missions, including sending a robot into space next year.

PLD Space has announced the success of its MIURA-1 rocket launch after analyzing the data the rocket gathered. The Company consequently achieved 100% of its main objectives and successfully validated its in-house technologies in flight. The suborbital mission went according to all the necessary parameters, both in the behavior of all the subsystems and the execution of the operations

StarWin has announced that it has successfully tested its Electronically Steered Phased Array Antenna (ESA) terminal for Communications on the Move (COTM) on Avanti Communications’ (“Avanti”) high-speed HYLAS 4 Ka-band satellite. This achievement aims to provide seamless broadband connectivity for Government, military, and enterprise customers across Africa. During testing, StarWin’s ESA terminal demonstrated impressive capabilities, ensuring high-speed data and reliable communications while on the move.

In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Aaron Addison, incoming Executive Director of the World Geospatial Industry Council, at the Intergeo 2023 in Berlin. WGIC's Role and Growth: Aaron highlighted the significant growth in the geospatial and space sectors, emphasizing the successful experience at Intergeo. He introduced the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) as a trade association aiming to unite various facets of the geospatial industry globally. The organization recently rebranded to reflect its diverse membership, which now includes traditional geospatial companies and newer entrants like satellite and ocean data companies.

ispace, Inc. has announced today that the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has selected it for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant worth up to approximately $80 million (12 billion Yen). The SBIR Project is a large-scale technology demonstration for startup companies in Japan conducting innovative research and development with the purpose of implementing these new technologies. 

Horizon Technologies has announced a £1.2 Million grant from the UK Space Agency as part of a £2.8 Million total program called the Amber Phoenix Mission. The Phoenix Mission will see another Amber RF (Radio Frequency) Earth Observation payload launched into orbit in mid-2024. The Company made the announcement at an event at the Army-Navy Club in London. 

At the end of the 2nd German Space Congress in Berlin, our publisher Torsten Kriening, spoke with Sebastian Roloff, Member of the German Parliament, about the German Space Strategy, the proposed space budget cuts, and the outlook for the German space sector.

At the 2nd German Space Congress in Berlin, Dr Ernst Pfeiffer, CEO at HPS GmbH joined our Publisher Torsten Kriening at a Panel about sustainability in space. After the panel, they talked about the value of the recent FCC penalties and the European Zero Debris Initiative.

Three German NewSpace companies, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), Yuri, and ATMOS Space Cargo (ATMOS), have announced their new partnership and launch of their joint end-to-end service for microgravity life science research and product development. The companies disclosed the partnership at this year's edition of the Weltraumkongress in Berlin, Germany. This holistic solution consequently represents an unprecedented and flexible alternative to the ISS laboratory and initiates a new generation of microgravity research.