Space Exploration

The Morrison Government will invest $270 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade the capability and potency of the Australian Defense Force, while protecting the country’s interests in a changing global environment. In its recently-released 2020 Defense Strategic Update, the Morrison Government will signal a key change in Australia’s …

Airbus has successfully completed the In-OrbitCommissioning (IOC) of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Solar Orbiter spacecraft, by the teams working from home as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. At 165 million km away from Earth, Solar Orbiter is definitely keeping its social distance, but its commissioning presented a challenge …

by Sebastien Moranta The ESPI Yearbook is an annual publication that provides a complete overview of all major developments and trends in the space sector over the year including policy, programmes, industry, economy, business and overall worldwide activity. One yearbook, four areas: Policy & Programmes, where we report on the …

By Talal Al Kaissi How things began, and where they are now: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has long looked to space as a domain we would like to make a meaningful contribution to for a variety of reasons. A meeting between our late founder and President Sheikh Zayed with the Apollo …

A new centre dedicated to the exploration of deep space is to be built at the Space Park Leicester site, after the Wolfson Foundation awarded a £500,000 grant towards the project. The new Wolfson Deep Space Centre will foster collaboration between business and universities to develop solutions to major challenges …

The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed an annual renewal contract with Airbus on continuing the operation and use of European components on the International Space Station (ISS). The contract is worth around €16 million. For astronauts conducting research on the ISS, it is essential that all systems function reliably. …

ESA’s 22 Member States approved the Director General’s proposal to appoint Elodie Viau as Director for Telecommunications from 1 September 2020, succeeding the current director, Magali Vaissiere. For the past 12 years, Elodie Viau has worked for SES, one of the world’s leading satellite owners and operators, based in Betzdorf, …

Canada is taking another important step forward in its participation in the next chapter of Moon exploration. Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced Canada intends to enter into a contract with Brampton-based company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Inc. (MDA) to build Canadarm3. This smart …

Thales Alenia Space, Joint Venture between Thales (67 %) and Leonardo (33 %) announced the signature of an ATP (Authorization To Proceed) with Axiom Space of Houston, Texas to initiate the development of two key pressurized elements dedicated to the world’s first commercial space station. In January, NASA selected Axiom’s …

by Berfin Bediz Yildiz, Gautam Hedge, Chen Shalem, and Vennela Devineni The UN SDGs are an urgent universal call for action to change the world and steer it towards a better and more sustainable path. One goal is missing: the 18th SDG on sustainable use of outer space.   What are the SDGs? …