Space Exploration

AAC Clyde Space has been selected to supply batteries to the Nova-C lunar lander mission led by the U.S. company Intuitive Machines. The agreement, announced on 27 February 2020, broadens the scope of its original order from power systems to also include batteries that will enable Intuitive Machines to optimize …

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has issued an industrial capacity-building contribution announcement of opportunity (AO) for the Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP), as reported by Space Q. This AO comes after the CSA asked for additional input in January for an upcoming “commercial lunar opportunity.” The objective of the AO …

By John B. Sheldon The Power of Metaphor Since the launch of the first satellite, Sputnik I, on 4 October 1957 our presence in space has been described, defined, and politically and technologically driven by metaphors. The U.S.-Soviet space programmes in the Cold War weren’t just in competition, they were …

The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently signed an agreement to partner in a study to conduct technical and environmental research on the potential to establish a ground station in South Africa. This station will support future near-Earth and deep space …

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has said that the Hope Probe mission, also called the Emirates Mars Mission, is a testament to the capabilities of the youth of the UAE. “The project, which represents a historic achievement for the …

Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES) President Jean-Yves Le Gall and Dmitry Rogozin, Director General of the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos, met for a status check on the development of the two nations’ cooperation in space. The meeting was hosted by the French ambassador to Russia, Pierre Levy, at the …

Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Lander will capture raw optical images of the lunar surface and convert them into Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) measurements to land within 200 meters of its intended landing site. Intuitive Machines navigators led by Co-Founder, Dr. Tim Crain, attended the American Astronautical Society’s Annual Guidance, Navigation and …

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 …

The Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) has started the planned training programme of Indian astronaut candidates under the contract between Glavkosmos, JSC (part of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos) and the Human Spaceflight Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). After a thorough selection process, the …

By His Excellency Dr. Eng. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi  Along the sidelines of local and international events, my colleagues and I at the UAE Space Agency meet with a myriad of official delegations and representatives to discuss opportunities for cooperation and the state of the global space sector. Our discussions …