Satellite

By Gabriella Skoff Satellites have become critical tools in infrastructure and defence. They control GPS systems, enable international communications, allow us to watch the news “live” and track and relay information about the weather and other natural events. They facilitate business and financial communications, as well as radio and telephone …

Exotrail, a French company dedicated to providing innovative on-orbit transportation solutions for the small satellite market, announced on 19 February 2020 that they have signed a contract with AAC Clyde Space, Europe’s leading nanosatellite solutions specialist. Exotrail will equip them with cutting-edge propulsion solutions for their customers, including global satellite …

Curtin University and Tokyo-based start-up company Space BD Inc. will together launch two CubeSat satellites into orbit from the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo on the International Space Station (ISS). Space BD Inc. is the official service provider selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency  (JAXA) in the area of ISS utilisation …

On Monday, 17 February 2020, at 10:05 am EST, or 15:05 UTC, SpaceX launched its fifth Starlink mission from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The Starlink satellites deployed in an elliptical orbit approximately 15 minutes after liftoff. Prior to orbit raise, SpaceX engineers …

Swiss space startup Astrocast announced the signing of a new contract with Spaceflight for the launch of 10 additional Internet of Things (IoT) nanosatellites. This new contract, announced 6 February 2020, will be Astrocast’s sixth launch booked with Spaceflight. Both its test and fully functional satellites were also launched with …

One of the more notable space stories of the past week is that of two Russian satellites allegedly ‘stalking’ a KH-11 reconnaissance satellite operated by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Given heightened geopolitical tensions between great powers and the increasing occurrence of Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) in Earth orbit, SpaceWatch.Global …

The Principals’ Board for the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative came together in Ottawa, Canada, for its annual meeting last week to formally recognize the addition of France and Germany to the CSpO initiative. Participants also discussed the current and future space environment; coordinated policy, global operations and capabilities; and …

The Queensland government of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has released the Queensland Space Industry Strategy 2020-2025, the Australian state’s plan to create even more jobs in more industries for Queenslanders. Queensland’s Minister for State Development Cameron Dick said the AUS$8 million (US$5.38 million) investment will accelerate Queensland’s space industry into a new …

The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC), the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and NGC Aerospace, have signed a collaboration agreement and initiated the joint development of the flight software for a HyperSpectral Earth-observation satellite. This long-term collaboration, announced on 13 February 2020, will provide …

Rocket Lab has been selected by NASA as the launch provider for a small satellite mission to the same lunar orbit targeted for Gateway – an orbiting outpost astronauts will visit before descending to the surface of the Moon in a landing system as part of NASA’s Artemis program. The …