Space Missions

Blue Origin sold a seat on its first human spaceflight in July for $28 million, the company said. Jeff Bezos’ space venture auctioned off a seat for $28 million on its first crewed spaceflight scheduled on July 20, it said; the winning bidder will fly to space with the Amazon founder and his brother Mark on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.

Seraphim Capital prepares to list on the London Stock Exchange, the space fund’s co-founder Mark Boggett told the BBC. Seraphim Capital, one of the world's leading investors in space, is transferring all assets from its existing fund into the Seraphim Space Investment Trust, the report said.

Virgin Orbit is close to merging with a SPAC, valuing Richard Branson’s company at $3 billion, Sky News reported. Virgin Orbit is close to finalising a deal to combine with NextGen Acquisition II, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) set up by George Mattson, a former Goldman Sachs banker, Sky News reported.

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India’s pillar for space exploration, is one of the top six governmental space agencies in the world. Progress in the space endeavours marked by ISRO has received applauds across the globe, especially with the successful Mars Orbital Mission which made India the first nation to reach Mars in a maiden attempt.

This Thursday’s Space Café "Moriba’s Vox Populi" was hosted by University of Texas academic Associate Professor Moriba Jah, an American astrodynamicist, space scientist and aerospace engineer known for his work in spacecraft navigation, space sustainability and space situational awareness.

ESA goes to Venus with EnVision, the European Space Agency said. The mission was selected by ESA’s Science Programme Committee as the fifth Medium-class mission in the Agency’s Cosmic Vision plan, targeting a launch in the early 2030s, ESA said. EnVision follows ESA’s Venus Express (2005-2014)

Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) will support and service Intuitive Machines (IM) for all its Moon missions, the company announced. KSAT has entered a long-term agreement with IM to support every stage of IM’s missions to the Moon, from launch and early operations, through transit, including lunar operations, KSAT said. IM will use KSAT services for its 2022 IM-1 mission.

This Space Café Brazil will feature Andre Rypl, a Brazilian diplomat, in conversation with Ian Grosner, Correspondent of SpaceWatch.Global for Brazil. The Role of Brazil as a founding member of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS)

An Alnwick-headquartered sustainable space specialist NORSS has received £10,000 in research and development (R&D) tax credits, thanks to the innovation demonstrated in its projects. Opening sustainable opportunities in outer space for businesses, the government and the public, NORSS was formed in 2017 and specialises in Space Situational Awareness

During this week’s SpaceCafé, SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Dr Cassandra Steer, a space law researcher from the Australian National University’s Institute of Space and College of Law. With an international (and intergalactic) academic career spanning two decades, Dr Steer specialises in space law, space security and international law,...