For planet earth and beyond
Airbus Defence and Space makes its first shipment of Eurostar Neo flight hardware out of its Stevenage Factory. The massive Communications Module, or CM, is now in its Portsmouth site, where it will be equipped with communications equipment.
The ESAIL microsatellite for tracking ships at sea has completed its latest environmental and system performance tests and set off for Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Cybercrime is a global scourge – with expenditures on its fallout increasing dramatically. The cost can be financially crippling for companies who often lack the skills to deal with ever-increasing threats. The RHEA Group, under the Technology and Product Phase of ESA’s ARTES Competitiveness & Growth Programme, have now masterminded a Cyber Security Centre for Excellence (CSCE) for advanced cybersecurity technologies.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station plan to install a high-speed radio link to enable almost real-time connections with Earth. The upgrade to the ESA Columbus laboratory will relay data from experiments on the Station back to Earth almost instantaneously. The fridge-sized device will fly to the Station aboard Northrop Grumman’s 12th Cygnus supply ship on 9 February.
The second satellite in the European Data Relay System has reached its intended orbit and completed its in-orbit tests. Dubbed the “SpaceDataHighway” by its commercial operator Airbus, EDRS uses innovative laser technology to enable Earth-observation satellites to deliver their information to users on the ground in near real-time, accelerating responses to emergency situations and spurring the development of new services and products.
Ariane 5’s first launch of 2020 has delivered two telecom satellites, Konnect and GSAT-30, into their planned transfer orbits. Arianespace announced liftoff at 21:05 GMT (22:05 CET, 18:05 local time) this evening from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
A device that uses electricity generated by plants as its power source has communicated via satellite – a world first. Such sensors could be used to connect everyday objects in remote locations, enabling them to send and receive data as part of the Internet of Things.
The first satellite developed under an initiative to help European industry deliver competitive satellites for the commercial telecommunications market has entered its final phase before launch.
The high-performance and low-cost LEROS 10 thruster, developed by Nammo Westcott Ltd in the frame of ESA’s Neosat Partnership Project, has recently completed its comprehensive qualification programme and is ready to perform its role in the attitude control and station-keeping of geostationary communication satellites.
At the ESA Ministerial Council Space19+ held in November 2019 in Seville, Member States determined the funding available for ESA’s programmes for the next three years. They endorsed the most ambitious plan to date for the future of ESA and of the European space sector.