ESA is forging ahead with the Neosat next-generation satcom platform, planning the first flights within five years. The goal is for European satellite builders to capture at least half of the world’s satcom market in 2018–30 through innovation and efficiency, generating €25 billion in sales. The contract for Phase-B of Neosat was signed today by Magali … Dowiedz się więcej
Over the past two months the team has been busy working on a new mission concept, called K2, which would repurpose the Kepler space telescope. On Jan. 30, in response to an invitation from NASA Headquarters, the Kepler team submitted a proposal to the 2014 Astrophysics Senior Review of Operating Missions to continue scientific observations … Dowiedz się więcej
Boeing’s [NYSE: BA] Commercial Crew Program (CCP) recently completed a hardware design review and software safety test, bringing it closer to launching the Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft that will return Americans to space. Boeing completed a Critical Design Review for the the system’s Launch Vehicle Adapter (LVA), which connects CST-100 to the United Launch … Dowiedz się więcej
Radiant skin is considered a sign of good health in humans, but plants also glow when they are well. A potential new ESA satellite could use this fluorescence to track the health and productivity of vegetation worldwide. The Florescence Explorer, or FLEX for short, is a candidate for ESA’s eighth Earth Explorer. It aims to … Dowiedz się więcej
The in-orbit validation of Galileo has been achieved: Europe now has the operational nucleus of its own satellite navigation constellation in place – the world’s first civil-owned and operated satnav system. In 2011 and 2012 the first four satellites were launched into orbit. Four is the minimum number needed to perform navigation fixes. In the … Dowiedz się więcej
Some tricky manoeuvres are now under way to steer ESA’s trio of Swarm satellites into their respective orbits so that they can start delivering the best-ever survey of our magnetic field. Since the Swarm constellation was launched last November, engineers have been busy putting the satellites through their paces to make sure that the craft … Dowiedz się więcej