ESA Archives - The Enterprise Orbit

Agencies targeting lunar missions lean on commercial partners

NOTE: This story originally appeared in the Low Down, our free weekly ebrief. Subscribe for FREE to receive our take on the latest news, enabling tech and emerging markets in the commercial space sector each week. Government space agencies are turning to commercial partners in the new lunar space race. At the recent International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2018), held in Bremen, Germany, multiple space agencies from around the world announced

Additive manufacturing can produce satellites ‘twice as fast and at half the cost’

Lockheed Martin wants to cut its satellite costs and schedules by 50% using additive manufacturing. The company has been experimenting with 3D printing components for its satellite business to achieve that goal, and has met with some success. It recently revealed an important milestone: the company successfully printed a 1.6 meter satellite fuel tank dome, the largest structure to date that the company has built using additive manufacturing. “Our largest

DLR explores human-machine relations using AI on the ISS

The “floating brain” has arrived on the ISS. This new experiment is a mobile and autonomous assistance system using IBM’s Watson AI technology, and the first AI-powered robot crew member aboard the ISS. CIMON – which stands for Crew Interactive Mobile Companion – is a 3D-printed flying robot about the size of a medicine ball and weighing 5 kg. The hardware was developed by Airbus in partnership with German space

Operators see software-defined satellite future approaching

Flexible, re-configurable satellites have been seen as an elusive holy grail in the industry for years now, but the technology seems to be gaining traction finally among satellite manufacturers and operators for commercial use cases. “If you look at the world today, what’s making the world go round is software,” said Jean-Luc Froeliger, Intelsat VP of satellite operations and engineering, speaking at the recent Space Tech Expo. “In the future,

Is there a business model for orbital debris?

Orbital debris capture and removal systems will prove crucial to the future of commercial LEO development, but the question remains as to whether there’s money to be made from it. The problem is growing to epic proportions, as launch increases has placed thousands of new satellites into LEO over the past few years. The increasing amounts of space debris “is going to be an ongoing issue that drives a lot

Governments step up funding for private space startups

Last year proved to be a seminal year for the commercial space industry, and there’s no signs of things cooling down in 2018. So far, the explosion of investment made in private space companies has been largely focused on launch vehicles. According to a Space Angels’ report, 72% of capital invested in space went to launch capabilities in 2017. But in 2018, we’re seeing more funding and support pop up

With Moon in mind, ESA looks to private sector for developing ISRU

The European Space Agency is calling for proposals for sending humans to the Moon, as well as for technology that will sustain crews while there. The agency is looking for proposals to leverage in-situ resources utilization technologies to help create a sustainable off-Earth colony, like the “Moon Village” concept ESA’s director general Johann-Dietrich Woerner has proposed. “We are looking to invest in the development and pay for the use of

New alliances emerge in the space race to the Moon

The Moon could get a little busy in the 2030s. The world’s biggest nations are all now working on developing lunar missions, thrusting the Moon once again to the center of a new global space race. Last week, US vice president Mike Pence reiterated the Trump administration’s desire to see American astronauts back on the Moon. “Here from this bridge to space our nation will return to the moon, and

Here’s the ‘Heavy Lifter’ Ariane 5 rocket that’ll launch Feb 14

By Kendra Chamberlain France’s Arianespace will launch its second mission of year on February 14, at the Guiana Space Center (GSC) located in French Guiana. Arianespace will use its expendable Ariane 5 rocket to launch two commercial telecom satellites into orbit from the spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone. (more…)

Questions linger over Earth science programs under incoming Trump administration

Many aspects of governance -- from budget approvals to new leaders for federal agencies -- are still up in the air for the US’s space programs and agencies, only days away from the new administration taking control. Unease has been growing about the future of US space and satellite programs under the new Trump administration. President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office Friday at the strike of noon -- which