Space Missions

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) announced the first of a series of six launches with two Galileo satellites per launch, from Spaceport Kourou. Galileo satellites 27 and 28 will be launched on-board of a Soyuz rocket on 2nd December.  EUSPA will be in charge of Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) operations which will be overseen by a team of specialists.

The French Exotrail delivers its electric propulsion system to OHB´s microsatellite Triton-X Heavy, the company said. Exotrail signed a contract with the Luxembourg-based satellite manufacturer OHB Luxspace for the integration of Exotrail’s high thrust and flexible electric propulsion product ExoMG into the Triton-X Heavy platform, the firm said.

James Webb Space Telescope’s launch date has been moved for the fourth time, to no earlier than 22nd December, NASA reported. The additional time will be used for further testing of the observatory, following a recent incident during launch preparations. Webb was previously scheduled to launch 18th December on an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou.

OneWeb reported that one of their broadband satellites launched early last year suffered a software failure. The failed aircraft, orbiting at 1200 km, will be de-orbited. Other satellites in the fleet were successfully updated from the ground. OneWeb carried out 11 launches over the past year and currently has market access rights in 38 countries.

In this Space Café Radio – on tour on Mars (5), SpaceWatch.Global contributing editor Dr. Emma Gatti spoke in this fifth episode of our AMADEE-20 coverage with Dr. Robert Wild, Analog Astronaut. Together, they talked about AMADEE-20, the future of Mars exploration, space training and lessons learned from the mission.

The member states of the European Space Agency (ESA) want to “accelerate the use of space in Europe to tackle the urgent and unprecedented societal, economic and security challenges faced by Europe and its citizens,” ESA said after a meeting of the countries´ ministers in charge of space in Matosinhos, Portugal.

The launch company Sierra Space raised $1.4 billion in a Series A capital round, bringing its valuation to $4.5 billion, the Colorado-based builder of the winged and reusable Dream Chaser launcher said. The round is led by General Atlantic, Coatue and Moore Strategic Ventures, with participation from funds and accounts managed by BlackRock Private Equity Partners, AE Industrial Partners,

NASA selected Intuitive Machines for scientific Moon missions and will pay the Houston-based company $77.5 million, the agency said. The agency picked Intuitive Machines to deliver Moon research, science investigations and a technology demonstration in 2024, NASA said. The commercial delivery is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CPLS) initiative and the Artemis program.

EU member states and the European Commission cut the budget of the Horizon Europe space research partnership, aimed to drive EU competitiveness in the global market, Science Business reported. Industry partners will have to decide now if it is worth going ahead with the project or not.

SpaceX can have Starship’s first orbital flight as early as January, pending regulatory approvals, CEO Elon Musk said at a joint meeting of the National Academies’ Space Studies Board and Board on Physics and Astronomy.  According to Musk, the company is in the final preparations of both the vehicle and their new launch site in Boca Chica, Texas.