The European Union has issued its Request for Proposals for a major ‘New Space’ project – or projects – that embrace multi-orbit satellite constellations. The brief is comprehensive and asks for ideas on the construction and operation of a new fleet of satellites which will provide broadband connectivity, and so-called ‘Quantum’ solutions and other potential […]
The European Space Agency (ESA) is to invest about €90 million to the Ariane Group in order to develop a new engine for the Ariane 6 rocket, itself coming to the end of its design stage. The plan is for the new engine (dubbed Astris) to perform a ‘kick’ stage, and mounted as an addition […]
The Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications (Intersputnik) and Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) have signed an Agreement on Cooperation in Using Frequency Assignments in the Geostationary Orbit and Other Satellite Orbits for the Implementation of the Project on the Joint Use of Satellite Capacity. As decided by the joint 49th session of the Board […]
OneWeb, the global communications network powered from space, will release its first Gen2 RFI and host an Industry Day in association with the European Space Agency on 23-24 September at the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT). OneWeb is actively seeking mission partners with which to verify the definition, requirements and strategy for […]
The Satellite Industry Association’s (SIA) 2021 State of the Satellite Industry Report (SSIR) says – in essence – that the industry is in robust health. It notes that, despite the pandemic, a record number of satellites went into orbit in 2020 (triple the 2019 count) and that the sector is enjoying “double digit” growth in […]
On 12 April 1961, Soviet pilot and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to journey into outer space, departing from Baikonur Cosmodrome’s launch complex in Kazakhstan to make his 108-minute orbital flight in the Vostok 1 capsule. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the iconic spaceflight, full-service production company TDS was commissioned to enhance […]
The specialist insurance companies who provide launch and ‘in use’ cover for satellites have had another disastrous year. One report says that space insurance underwriters have had their third year of reporting losses despite increases since 2019 of premiums to cover key aspects of the launch and periods in orbit of satellites. Space Intel Report […]