Space Exploration

Norway has announced its commitment to maintaining its participation in the European Space Agency at its current level. This announcement came a week before the ministerial meeting in Paris, which would shape the European Space Agency (ESA)'s budget for the next three years.

NASA and the Government of Japan agreed on further contributions by Japan to Gateway, the Moon-orbiting outpost, as a key component of the Artemis missions, NASA said. In addition to this agreement, Japan also committed to participate in the International Space Station Program up until 2030.

The least we can say is that 2022 has been an eventful year on the world stage, and with no doubt, space took a major part in the headlines. From global environmental challenges to the sudden perception of a war fought Europe's backyard, the space domain and its technology have suddenly reached a level of public awareness and public utility never experienced before. What have we learned from the year that has just gone by, and what still needs to be addressed?

Insurance company Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI), a subsidiary of MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, has reached an agreement with global lunar resource development company ispace, to provide the world's first Lunar Insurance policy covering risks arising from ispace's Mission 1, ispace said.

In this episode of Space Cafè Radio Editor in Chief Dr. Emma Gatti spoke with Dr. Valanathan Munsami, the Senior Advisor to the CEO of the Saudi Space Agency. This interview took place during the Connecting the World from the Skies forum, which was held in Riyadh from the 8th to the 10th of November 2022. The conference was hosted by the International Telecommunication Union and the Communications, Space & Technology Commission of Saudi Arabia with the theme being “connecting the unconnected”. Important indications of where Saudi Arabia wants to situate itself within the global Space economy, the directions it wants to follow, the vision it would like to cultivate, and the investment it intends to pursue, were showcased. 

SpaceX was awarded a NASA contract modification, Option B, to further develop its Starship human landing system to meet agency requirements for long-term human exploration of the Moon as part of the Artemis program, NASA said. According to the modification, SpaceX will conduct a second crewed landing demonstration in 2027 as part of the Artemis IV mission.

Satellite-based solutions provider Terran Orbital, successfully launched Moon-mapping satellite, LunIR (Lunar Infrared Imaging). This is the second Terran Orbital-developed lunar satellite to launch this year after CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment). CAPSTONE entered a Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit around the Moon just days ago after its launch in June. Both spacecraft support NASA’s Artemis program.

NASA successfully launched Artemis I, comprising its Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket in the world, with the uncrewed Orion spacecraft aboard, which is on its way to cislunar orbit as part of the Artemis program, NASA said. During its 25.5-day space trip, Orion will travel approximately 64,000 km beyond the Moon before returning to Earth.

The Terran Orbital-developed CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) spacecraft successfully arrived in a Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) around the Moon, the satellite product manufacturer said. The successful orbit insertion is the first step of the pathfinding lunar mission’s next phase.

Canadensys Aerospace, a space systems company, has announced it has received a contract from the Canadian Government to design and build Canada’s first lunar rover. Initiated under the Canadian Space Agency’s Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP), the lunar rover will demonstrate key technologies for future lunar activity and accomplish meaningful lunar science.