GMV to head up Galileo ground segment after securing a new contract
Tuesday, 27 June 2023 10:51GMV was recently been awarded a major contract by the European Space Agency (ESA). The contract entails newly developing the ground control segment for the in-orbit validation (IOV) system of the Galileo Second Generation (G2G). Galileo, Europe's global navigation satellite system, is the proud flagship of the European Union's growing space activity. The primary objectives of the Galileo S
Fugro and GomSpace deliver world class position and timing accuracy onboard LEO satellites
Tuesday, 27 June 2023 10:51Fugro and GomSpace announced a cooperation around the SpaceStarTM product in 2020. Since then, the first SpaceStar systems have gained flight heritage and proven a stunning performance: Real time, sub-decimetre absolute positioning on board a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite without additional ground-infrastructure for the satellite operator. SpaceStar relies on GomSpace's Software Defined
X-57 project creates paths toward electric aviation
Tuesday, 27 June 2023 10:51NASA's X-57 Maxwell all-electric aircraft project will conclude aircraft operational activities by the end of September, with documentation and close-out activities continuing for several months afterwards. The research from the X-57 provides aviation researchers with hundreds of lessons learned, as well as revolutionary development in areas ranging from battery technology to cruise motor contro
Researchers develop a new source of quantum light
Tuesday, 27 June 2023 10:51Using novel materials that have been widely studied as potential new solar photovoltaics, researchers at MIT have shown that nanoparticles of these materials can emit a stream of single, identical photons. While the work is currently a fundamental discovery of these materials' capabilities, it might ultimately pave the way to new optically based quantum computers, as well as possible quant
Compact electric thruster cleared for space firing
Tuesday, 27 June 2023 08:04An innovative compact electric propulsion system has recently completed its extended qualification firing test campaign in space-representative vacuum and temperature conditions, leaving it ready to be deployed aboard the ESA-supported µHETSat technology demonstration microsatellite mission, slated for launch by the end of this year.
D-Orbit wins contracts to test optical links and fly mini space lab
Monday, 26 June 2023 22:14D-Orbit will supply a small orbiting lab and test optical intersatellite links under the latest contracts awarded through Italy’s billion-euro National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
ESA, European companies back “zero debris” agreement
Monday, 26 June 2023 22:08ESA and three European satellite manufacturers have announced plans to work together to develop “ambitious and meaningful targets” for dealing with orbital debris.
SES bid for equal split of C-band proceeds back in play
Monday, 26 June 2023 22:06Satellite operator SES has another shot at getting a larger share of Intelsat's C-band clearing cash after an appeals court made a judgment in its favor.
U.K. joins U.S. Space Command’s commercial space-tracking cell
Monday, 26 June 2023 17:55The United Kingdom will participate in a U.S. Space Command initiative focused on purchasing commercial space domain awareness data.
Agile raises $13 million to expand production
Monday, 26 June 2023 17:50The seed funding round, announced June 23, was led by Caruso Ventures. Participants included Lockheed Martin Ventures, Greater Colorado Venture Fund, CORI Innovation Fund and Greenline Ventures.
Researchers model and test ground conditions on the moon
Monday, 26 June 2023 16:11From 1967 to 1972, the American space agency NASA conducted a series of space missions to the moon. Nearly 400 kilograms of soil samples were transported back to Earth. NGI—The Norwegian Geotechnical Institute is now using CT-scans of 10,000 lunar particles from the Apollo expeditions to study how lunar soils will behave when humans start engineering structures for the lunar surface.
In the near future, NASA's Artemis missions plan to send humans to the moon again for the first time in 50 years. This time, astronauts will potentially work and live on the moon for extended periods. But how to build a habitable base on the moon? What forces can the ground on the moon withstand? And with the conditions that are on the moon, how do materials, like a grain of lunar soil, behave?
Research proposes extending Earth's internet to Mars with orbital data servers
Monday, 26 June 2023 16:09You've done it. After years of effort and training, sacrifice, and pain, you become an astronaut and have finally set foot on Mars. Time to post your triumph on TikTok for that sweet social media cred. If only you can get a signal.
While that might seem like a silly scenario, the need for internet connectivity on Mars is real. It's not just a matter of allowing astronauts to doomscroll and post on Reddit. Landing humans on Mars will require a tremendous amount of data transfer with Earth, which is not easy. So how can we create an information network on Mars that is robust enough for both logistic and personal needs? A paper posted on the arXiv pre-print server proposes an idea.
The idea for an interplanetary internet isn't new. Astronauts on the International Space Station already have web access, though they often complain about its dialup-level speeds.
NASA identifies potential major cost growth in Mars Sample Return
Monday, 26 June 2023 15:48NASA has confirmed that one scenario for the cost of its Mars Sample Return (MSR) program is far higher than previous estimates, heightening concerns among scientists about its impacts on other missions.
China conducts parachute tests for asteroid sample return mission
Monday, 26 June 2023 15:16China’s main space contractor has conducted several successful high-altitude parachute deployment tests as part of plans to collect asteroid samples and deliver them safely to Earth.