Space

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) successful launch of the Noor (Light) satellite into space is a significant moment at a time when many countries, including Iran, are still grappling with the deadly COVID-19 virus.

US$68 million of announced space-related financing rounds in April 2020 is by far the lowest number this year and indeed in a while...

DEWC Systems, Australia’s leading defence electronics systems manufacturer, has received a AUS$3.1 million (US$2.02 million) contract from the Australian Department of Defence to build the sensors for Miniaturised Orbital Electronic Warfare Sensor System (MOESS) programme, it has been reported on 28 April 2020.

Following the measures presented by the French government on 28 April 2020 as part of the gradual resumption of activity planned from 11 May, and the announcement of a restart of operational activities at the Guiana Space Center, Arianespace confirms its following launch objectives:

Bulgarian New Space company EnduroSat has received a US$362,000 investment from Neo Ventures, a venture capital company headquartered in the Bulgarian capital city Sofia, it was reported on 28 April 2020.

This week’s Space Café WebTalk took place on 28 April 2020, featuring Daniel Porras, Space Security Fellow at UNIDIR - the United Nations Institute of Disarmament Research in Geneva - in conversation with Torsten Kriening, co-publisher of SpaceWatch.Global and COO of ThorGroup GmbH.

Headlines have again been made by a state testing a direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) weapon system. Russia’s flight test of its Nudol missile technology (which some claim is more for missile defence) falls into a wider and longer-term pattern of DA-ASAT weapons testing and development which has seen the United States, China, and India conduct similar flights over the last 15 years.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Astronautical Foundation (IAF) has announced that this year's International Astronautical Congress (IAC) will go virtual in October instead of being held in Dubai.

The Emirates News Agency reports that the UAE's Emirates Mars Mission is getting excellent press coverage in the region.

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), announced on 27 April 2020 the signing of a contract with AVIO S.p.A., industrial prime contractor of the VEGA launch vehicle, in the frame of LEAP program of the European Space Agency (ESA),