Kymeta to offer mission-critical LEO connectivity through OneWeb Technologies
Friday, 22 April 2022 10:02
Where no satnav has gone before
Friday, 22 April 2022 10:02
Western's all-sky cameras capture bright fireball event
Friday, 22 April 2022 10:02
SpaceX launches another 53 Starlink satellites into space
Friday, 22 April 2022 10:02
Tianzhou-3 docks with Tianhe's front docking port
Friday, 22 April 2022 10:02
Maxar extends 3D Geospatial capabilities through partnership with Blackshark
Friday, 22 April 2022 10:02
Planet joins ESA Third Party Mission Program for satellite imagery
Friday, 22 April 2022 10:02
Space dust, asteroids and comets can account for all water on Mercury
Friday, 22 April 2022 10:02
Black holes raze thousands of stars to fuel growth
Friday, 22 April 2022 10:02
Key findings from the European State of the Climate Report
Friday, 22 April 2022 09:45
Europe experienced its warmest summer on record in 2021, accompanied by severe floods in western Europe and dry conditions in the Mediterranean. These are just some of the key findings from the Copernicus Climate Change Service’s European State of the Climate report released today. The in-depth report provides key insights and a comprehensive analysis of climate conditions in 2021, with a special focus on Europe and the Arctic.
ESA’s Space Environment Report 2022
Friday, 22 April 2022 08:00
Since 2016, ESA’s Space Debris Office has published an annual Space Environment Report to provide a transparent overview of global space activities and determine how well these and other international debris-reduction measures are improving the long-term sustainability of spaceflight.
Here are some of the key findings of the 2022 report.
Earth from Space: Earth Day
Friday, 22 April 2022 07:00
Each year on 22 April, people across the planet join forces to raise awareness about the depleting quality of the environment, the unequivocal effects of climate change and the importance of protecting our planet for future generations. We celebrate Earth Day every day at ESA. This week, this spectacular image of Earth is brought to you by the Meteosat Second Generation series of missions.
Iridium in talks to launch more backup satellites this year
Thursday, 21 April 2022 21:26
Iridium expects to take advantage of a rideshare opportunity this year to launch up to five of the six spare satellites it has been storing in Arizona.
The post Iridium in talks to launch more backup satellites this year appeared first on SpaceNews.
Viasat to begin integration of long-delayed Link 16 military communications satellite
Thursday, 21 April 2022 21:00
The Link 16 spacecraft, funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory, has been delayed due to late delivery of the Blue Canyon satellite bus
The post Viasat to begin integration of long-delayed Link 16 military communications satellite appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA's Lucy mission is a 'go' for solar array deployment attempt
Thursday, 21 April 2022 20:11
On April 18, NASA decided to move forward with plans to complete the deployment of the Lucy spacecraft's stalled, unlatched solar array. The spacecraft is powered by two large arrays of solar cells that were designed to unfold and latch into place after launch. One of the fan-like arrays opened as planned, but the other stopped just short of completing this operation.
Through a combination of rigorous in-flight solar array characterization and ground testing, Lucy engineers determined the unlatched solar array is nearly fully open, positioned at approximately 345 out of the full 360 degrees, and is producing ample energy for the spacecraft. Nonetheless, the team is concerned about potential damage to the array if the spacecraft conducts a main engine burn in its present configuration.
After launch, the arrays were opened by a small motor that reels in a lanyard attached to both ends of the folded solar array. The team estimates that 20 to 40 inches of this lanyard (out of approximately 290 inches total) remains to be retracted for the open array to latch.
The solar array was designed with both a primary and a backup motor winding to give an added layer of reliability for the mission-critical solar array deployment.