News

ClearSpace has announced that its CLEAR Mission – funded as part of the UK Space Agency’s national debris removal program – has achieved Preliminary Design Review (PDR) maturity, marking a significant advancement in the collective aim of making our space operations more sustainable. The CLEAR Mission will use ClearSpace’s robotic capture system to safely remove two dead, washing-machine-sized, UK satellites from orbit, mitigating the risk that these pieces of space debris pose to other space operations.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected four new Earth Explorer mission ideas to undergo assessment study, one of which will be the twelfth in the Earth Explorer family of satellite missions. ESA’s Earth Explorer missions have yielded a wealth of astonishing findings, serving as the bedrock of scientific research in this field. 

In a significant step toward leveraging technology to combat wildfires, OroraTech has announced the XPRIZE Foundation has selected it as one of 20 finalists in the prestigious XPRIZE Wildfire Competition in the Space-Based Wildfire Detection & Intelligence track, moving on to the final round of the competition.

MDA Space has announced it has received a $250 million contract extension from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to continue supporting robotics operations on the International Space Station (ISS) from 2025 to 2030. Furthermore, as part of the contract, MDA Space will now fulfil robotics flight controller duties to support mission operations on the ISS.

The Global Exploration Summit (GLEX Summit) has announced GLEX Summit 2024, which will hold from June 15 to 19, in both Porto and Angra do Heroísmo, in Portugal. Known as the "Davos of Exploration," the Global Exploration Summit will feature participation from renowned explorers and scientists from around the globe. The Summit will open in Porto, followed by two days in Angra do Heroísmo on the island of Terceira. 

In this episode, Dr Emma Gatti, Editor in Chief of SpaceWatch.Global, and Prof. Angel Abbud-Madrid, director of the Center for Space Resources at the Colorado School of Mines, dive into engaging discussions about space resources, focusing on water reserves on the Moon and Mars.

Marketing in outer space seems like an innovative idea, but it has 60+ years of history. Dr. Wernher von Braun, former Marshall Space Flight Center Director, pointed out on July 22, 1969: "Because without public relations we would have been unable to do it". Today, accelerated access to space provides unprecedented opportunities for #advertising stunts and viral marketing. Some campaigns raise ethical, environmental, and regulatory concerns, while others champion sustainability. 

ICEYE has announced a definitive agreement signed for an oversubscribed $93M growth funding round. The financing will further accelerate investment in the world's largest constellation of SAR satellites and expand the company's portfolio of innovative data and subscription products.

Sweden has become the latest and 38th signatory to the Artemis Accords, as Swedish Minister for Education Dr. Mats Persson signed the accords on behalf of Sweden at an event in Stockholm. Participants at the signing included Persson and Ambassador Erik D. Ramanathan, the U.S. ambassador to Sweden, who gave remarks welcoming Sweden to the Accords family. Pre-recorded remarks by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson played during the ceremony as well.

The UK Space Agency (UKSA), in collaboration with the UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund (UKI2S), has announced an initiative to support early-stage space startups. With £8 million allocated for investment, this initiative aims to address the critical funding gap that many early-stage space companies face at the pre-seed and seed stages. UKI2S is leading the Space Portfolio, while Future Planet Capital is responsible for managing it.