Space

LightSail-2, a crowd-funded spacecraft that aims to be the first propelled only by sunlight, was launched successfully from Kennedy Space Center on 25 June on board a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket as part of the U.S. Air Force's STP-2 mission.

Five European Companies and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have teamed up to tackle the shortcoming of know-how in reusable rockets in Europe, which start upright and land upright after a successful mission.

The adoption of the Long Term Sustainability (LTS) Guidelines “is the most significant output of COPUOS [Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space] in the last decade, and the most significant output promoting space sustainability,”

Jonathan Yaney, founder and CEO of SpinLaunch, has announced that the company has been awarded a responsive launch prototype contract from the Department of Defense (DOD), facilitated by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).

Viasat and Teledyne Controls have partnered to bring real-time connected flight deck services to commercial airlines. Designed for Viasat in-flight connectivity (IFC) customers, this partnership allows commercial airlines to decrease operational costs by eliminating expensive manual data off-loading processes; make better use of data mid-flight with improved data analysis and relevancy; and reduce data loss through preventative maintenance and the immediate access of flight deck information.

During its 62nd session, the Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) adopted a preamble and 21 guidelines for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. These provide guidance on policy and regulatory framework for space activities; safety of space operations; international cooperation, capacity-building and awareness; and scientific and technical research and development.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is currently developing plans for Space Hub Sutherland, which is expected to begin vertical launches of small satellites from the A’Mhoine peninsula, near Tongue, early in the next decade.

The Skolkovo Technopark was the backdrop for the signing of a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tunisian company TELNET Holding and Russian companies SPUTNIX and GK Launch Services.

The successful launch on 24 June 2019 (EST) of 6 satellites for the FORMOSAT-7 joint US-Taiwanese weather forecasting constellation marks the start of another SSTL-enabled space mission, a cause for celebration at SSTL’s UK HQ.  

Airbus built SEOSAT/Ingenio, the first Earth observation satellite for the European Space Agency (ESA) and Spanish government has left Madrid and is ready for final testing.