Sustainability

Muon Space and Earth Fire Alliance are working together to build a new satellite constellation to aid in global wildfire response, called the FireSat Constellation. The initiative has the expertise and support of Google Research, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Google’s charitable arm Google.org, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Minderoo Foundation.  The full...

A new report from Slingshot Aerospace reveals record-high insurance losses in 2023, and threats to space sustainability as more satellites are launched every year. Slingshot pulled back the curtain on satellite lifecycles in 2023 in its inaugural State of Satellite Deployments & Orbital Operations report, released on April 30. The report was informed by the...

The urgent response to the climate crisis is now. With Earth facing threats from global warming, air pollution, and the decrease in ocean biodiversity, satellite initiatives that use Earth’s vantage point from space provide critical data to illuminate the impacts of climate change and extend this knowledge worldwide. These satellites can interpret the impact of...

JAXA selected Astroscale Japan, a subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings, as the commercial partner for Phase II of JAXA’s Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration (CRD2) program. Astroscale Japan announced the partnership on April 25.  Eddie Kato, president and managing director of Astroscale Japan, said Astroscale has demonstrated several capabilities during Phase I of the mission and...

The ClearSpace-1 debris removal mission changed its objective after detecting a space debris collision of the target with untraceable debris. In-space debris removal company ClearSpace announced the decision on April 24. ClearSpace pivoted to the next stage of the ClearSpace-1 mission following a technical and programmatic review with the European Space Agency (ESA). The debris...

Satellogic, a Earth observation data collection company, signed a letter of intent with O.N.E. Amazon to support the creation of an initiative called the ‘Internet of Forests.’ O.N.E. Amazon is a technology company focused on creating sustainable impact for the environment and investors. Satellogic signed the letter on Earth Day, April 22. Satellogic will look...

To celebrate Earth Day, Via Satellite has curated an exclusive collection of stories looking at how satellite technology can make a difference to life on Earth and the role it will play as we adapt to a changing climate.

Xprize selected a number of satellite companies to advance in a wildfire detection challenge aimed at funding innovative solutions to combat wildfires. Xprize announced 20 participants on Wednesday in the Space-Based Wildfire Detection & Intelligence program. Competitors include Loft Orbital, Muon Space, MyRadar, Orbital Sidekick, and OroraTech. Xprize is a non-profit organization that hosts public...

Astrocale Japan reached a technical milestone involving its commercial debris inspection demonstration satellite, Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J). The company said Thursday that it completed the rendezvous phase of its mission and the beginning of proximity approach. This success is underscored by starting Angles-Only Navigation, a navigation method to estimate relative position and velocity...

Spire will deploy Neuraspace’s space traffic management (STM) platform to its constellation of 100+ multipurpose satellites. This combined setup will allow Spire to track and monitor potential conjunctions across its constellation and at the same time focus on its more critical assets. All satellites will be monitored using Neuraspace’s software. Spire announced the deal, April...