Today, ESA, the Finnish government and the Finnish Meteorological Institute took the initial steps towards establishing a ‘supersite’ for Earth observation calibration and validation in Sodankylä in Finnish Lapland.

Envisaged as a joint investment, this world-class site would bring benefits to both ESA, by helping to further ensure satellites deliver accurate data over high latitude environments, and to Finland by providing Finnish businesses with new opportunities to develop and test environmental sensors and technology.

‘Here there be dragons’ – medieval mapmakers would daub such warnings on dangerous or unknown recesses of mariners’ charts. Fast forward to the 21^st century and the space surrounding our planet holds ‘dragons’ of its own: fierce radiation belts that surround Earth, Jupiter and other planets, and storms of particles originating from the Sun that travel far into space. A dedicated class of engineers work to safeguard space missions from such dangers.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 03, 2025
Recent analysis using NASA radar technology has revealed that a long-active landslide zone on the Palos Verdes Peninsula has expanded, raising concerns about infrastructure and safety. Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California utilized airborne radar data to examine the gradual movement of the Palos Verdes Peninsula landslides. Their study found that betwe

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 30, 2025
Planet Labs Germany GmbH, a prominent provider of daily Earth observation data and insights, has announced a new multi-year contract with the European Space Agency (ESA). This agreement sees Planet officially joining the Copernicus Contributing Missions, offering its commercial satellite data alongside ESA's Sentinel satellites for enhanced geospatial analysis. As part of the deal, Planet

Paris, France (SPX) Feb 03, 2025
GHGSAT, a global leader in satellite-based emissions monitoring, has been officially designated as a Copernicus Contributing Mission (CCM) by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission. The ESA Earth Observation Directorate oversees the CCM initiative, which integrates commercial satellite data into Copernicus services. Through this collaboration, GHGSAT's methane emissions data

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 29, 2025
The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace), a national nonprofit operating the only federally funded research and development center dedicated to the space enterprise, has partnered with Google Public Sector to significantly advance space weather forecasting. By integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing capabilities, the collaboration aims to predict geomagnetic storms w

Paris, France (SPX) Jan 31, 2025
KP Labs, in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), and the MI2.AI team from Warsaw University of Technology, has introduced the PINEBERRY project. This initiative aims to enhance the security, transparency, and reliability of artificial intelligence (AI) in space operations. T

Paris, France (SPX) Jan 31, 2025
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission have finalized negotiations to advance the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI), paving the way for its development. EuroQCI is a state-of-the-art network designed to secure personal data and safeguard Europe's critical infrastructure through the application of quantum physics principles. The initiative will emp

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Feb 03, 2025
China's Shenzhou-19 mission has reached its midpoint as the three crew members aboard the Tiangong space station share their unique experiences during the Spring Festival. Orbiting 400 kilometers above Earth, the astronauts offered a rare glimpse into their daily work routines and personal moments. Crew commander Cai Xuzhe, returning to the station after nearly two years, described his arrival a

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 30, 2025
York Space Systems, the Denver-based aerospace company specializing in the rapid deployment of space mission solutions, has announced a major expansion of its satellite platform portfolio with the introduction of the M-CLASS platform. This new satellite platform is designed to meet the increasing demand for higher power and greater flexibility in mission planning. With a payload capacity of up t