Positioning Navigation and Timing

Thales Alenia Space announced that it has been awarded a contract by the French Space Agency CNES to develop a Dual Frequency Multi Constellations (DFMC) SBAS prototype. The project is part of the next generation of SBAS (satellite-based augmentation system), just like EGNOS, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service satellite system. 

Plus Ultra Space Outposts, a European company developing a lunar satellite constellation, and ispace Europe have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for working together on joint lunar missions, ispace announced. The MoU comprises the deployment of communication and navigation satellites into lunar orbit as early as 2024.

The European Space Agency (ESA) wants to accelerate the use of space in Europe with an annual budget of € 7.15 billion, the agency said. The largest envelopes are invested in Earth Observation (€ 1.6 billion), Navigation (€ 1.5 billion), and Space Transportation (€ 1 billion). Copernicus suffers a budget shortfall of € 750 million due to the withdrawal of the UK.

Space consulting and market intelligence company, Euroconsult, estimates that the global space economy totaled US $370B last year. The figures leading up to the estimation can be found in their Space Economy report for 2021. These include the commercial and governmental space market (US $337B), internal costs and R&D of government organizations (US $33B).

ESA and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) chose Arianespace to launch eight Galileo satellites to add to the constellation. The company will deploy the first two satellites this year, which will lead to the full operational capability of the Galileo open service. The three successive launches will be on board of Ariane 62 rockets in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

In this Space Café Radio – our Review 2021 series, SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Blaine Curcio, #ChinaSpaceGuy, Founder of Orbital Gateway Consulting and Senior Affiliate Consultant at Euroconsult and Co-host of the DongFnag Hour China Aerospace news roundup about his (China) space highlights in 2021 and what to watch out for the upcoming year in space.

Russia recently conducted a successful test of the Nudol system, shooting down one of its own satellites. However, Nudol is just one of many tools that may help Russia gain dominance in space and constrain other nations acting in space. Donatas Palavenis, of the Baltic Institute of Advanced Technology, gives a review.

As part of the partnership between SpaceWatch.Global and Orbital Gateway Consulting we have been granted permission to publish selected articles and texts. We are pleased to present “Dongfang Hour China Aerospace News Roundup 13 - 19 December 2021”. Hello and welcome to another episode of the Dongfang Hour China Aero/Space News Roundup!

As part of the partnership between SpaceWatch.Global and Orbital Gateway Consulting we have been granted permission to publish selected articles and texts. We are pleased to present “Dongfang Hour China Aerospace News Roundup 29 November- 5 December 2021”. Hello and welcome to another episode of the Dongfang Hour China Aero/Space News Roundup!

Two more: Arianespace has successfully launched two more Galileo satellites, growing Europe’s navigation constellation to 28 satellites, the European Space Agency (ESA) said. Soyuz launcher VS-26, operated by Arianespace and commissioned by ESA, lifted off with the pair of 715 kg satellites from French Guiana on 5 December, ESA said.