Sustainability

A payload adapter that is the target for ClearSpace’s future debris removal mission was likely hit by other space debris, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced on Tuesday.  ESA reported that a small, untracked object likely collided with the VESPA payload adapter left in-orbit from a 2013 Vega launch — because ESA is now tracking new...

Satellite Applications Catapult is forming a unique partnership with Space Solar as it looks to meet energy needs of the future. It announced the partnership Aug. 10. The two companies believe the sun and space can power us all into a sustainable future. Space Solar, a spinout from the Catapult, has been operating since April...

EnduroSat is teaming up with Vyoma to work on what is being billed as Europe’s first commercial mission for in-situ Space Situational Awareness (SSA). In an announcement of the collaboration published on Wednesday, Vyoma said it would use in-orbit optical telescopes to observe space objects and map the orbital environment at a high frequency, thus...

Satellite manufacturer Astro Digital will incorporate Astroscale’s Docking Plate into its modular satellite bus line for future end-of-life servicing. The companies announced July 24 that Astro Digital is set to receive its first Astroscale Docking Plate later this year, with launch expected in the fourth quarter of 2024.  Installing the Docking Plate on a spacecraft...

Sixty-five years of space activity have resulted in countless achievements that have greatly enriched life on Earth. On the flip side, this activity has also contributed to the huge amount of debris now in-orbit around the planet, and this is presenting a significant risk to satellites.  Debris is not the only danger in terms of...

OroraTech is expanding its partnership with Spire Global to build, launch, and operate an eight-satellite constellation dedicated to global temperature monitoring. The two companies announced the partnership on June 28. Once operational, it will represent one of the first and largest constellation of satellites dedicated to tracking and monitoring wildfires. Each spacecraft in the eight-satellite...

Issues such as how to manage space debris floating in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) and securing cooperation among multiple government entities are at the forefront of the discussion around space sustainability. While this issue has gotten more attention in the space industry in recent years, the bigger challenge ahead is turning ideas into meaningful actions. The...

SES and NorthStar Earth & Space have signed an agreement to collaborate on the implementation of next-generation commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) services. The deal was announced June 26. The deal follows on from an agreement last year between the two companies to collaborate and for both to contribute towards a more sustainable space environment....

Space traffic management (STM) is nearing “a tipping point” and key space nations need to establish an international space traffic management organization (ISTMO) to deconflict such traffic, and such nations should convene an international space traffic management meeting within five years that sets specific milestones to be achieved within a decade, according to a report...

MDA is working with Thoth Technology to create a made-in-Canada deep space radar surveillance and space domain awareness (SDA) capability. The companies announced a strategic agreement on Wednesday to combine MDA’s commercial data services with Thoth’s ground-based radar technology for sovereign monitoring in deep space over Canada.  Thoth has a ground-based radar technology called Earthfence...