The European Launcher Challenge (ELC) is now open to proposals. Details about the ELC Programme can be found here. Any questions should be made exclusively via the dedicated function in esa-star tendering.

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Meet the new MetOp Second Generation and Sentinel-5 missions

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 25, 2025
Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL), a key player in delivering daily Earth observation data, has entered a new agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) to support Greece's National SmallSat Programme. This initiative, led by the Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance and financed through the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) Greece 2.0, will utilize Planet's commercial satellite data to bolster

Saskatoon, Canada (SPX) Mar 24, 2025
The chemical element sulphur is essential for all life forms and is a building block of proteins and amino acids. By studying sulphur-based molecules in space, scientists are working to understand the chemical processes that might have led to the formation of life on Earth. German researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics recently discovered a special type of m

Rome, Italy (SPX) Mar 24, 2025
Quantum gravity, the elusive framework that would merge general relativity with quantum mechanics, remains one of modern physics' greatest unsolved puzzles. One of the most promising candidates for shedding light on this conundrum is the neutrino-a ghost-like particle that carries no electric charge and almost never interacts with matter, passing through the Earth undisturbed. Because of t

Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 24, 2025
Where California's towering Sierra Nevada surrender to the sprawling San Joaquin Valley, a high-stakes detective story is unfolding. The culprit isn't a person but a process: the mysterious journey of snowmelt as it travels underground to replenish depleted groundwater reserves. The investigator is a NASA jet equipped with radar technology so sensitive it can detect ground movements thinne

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Mar 24, 2025
Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace (KONGSBERG) has taken a major step into the space sector by launching and now operating its first microsatellite, marking the company's transition into satellite-based service provision. The microsatellite, named ARVAKER 1 N3X, was deployed from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard SpaceX's Transporter 13 mission. This launch not only signifies K

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 25, 2025
Exolaunch has finalized a Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to facilitate the deployment of CubeSats under the CUBICS (CubeSats Initiative in Canada for STEM) program. This initiative seeks to enhance Canada's space technology capabilities while equipping the next generation of Canadian space professionals with hands-on experience. The agreement covers th

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Mar 25, 2025
AI tools are revolutionizing the way astronomers study celestial bodies, offering new levels of precision and automation in classifying stars. A global research collaboration recently demonstrated how deep learning algorithms and large language models can efficiently and accurately categorize stars based on their light curves. The findings, published on February 26 in *Intelligent Computing*, ar

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Mar 25, 2025
Scientists have precisely determined the age of the Moon's largest and most ancient impact crater, the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, using rock samples retrieved by China's Chang'e-6 lunar mission. A research team led by Prof. CHEN YI at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed the first samples ever collected from the SPA region and established that t