Author Archives: Alun Williams

ESA confirms Thales Alenia Space to build European Gateway modules

The ESA has signed a €296.5m contract with France’s Thales Alenia Space to start building the European element for the Lunar Gateway, the planned replacement for the International Space Station. The work will provide the new space exploration facility with communications and refuelling capabilities. Specifically, the European System Providing Refueling, Infrastructure and Telecommunications (ESPRIT), will ...

This story continues at ESA confirms Thales Alenia Space to build European Gateway modules

Or just read more coverage at Electronics Weekly

Virgin Orbit reschedules second test flight of LauncherOne rocket

Virgin Orbit has rescheduled the second test flight of its LauncherOne rocket for this Sunday, 10 January (10am Pacific Time). The mission will launch the CubeSats of NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) mission. These will be the first payload to be carried by the rocket into space. The LauncherOne will take off from the ...

This story continues at Virgin Orbit reschedules second test flight of LauncherOne rocket

Or just read more coverage at Electronics Weekly

Lockheed Martin wins $4.9bn contract for missile warning satellites

Lockheed Martin Space has been awarded a $4.934bn contract for the manufacturing, assembly, integration, test and delivery of three Next Generation Geosynchronous (NGG) Earth orbiting space vehicles (SVs). The company was previously chosen to develop the SVs back in August 2018, receiving $2.9bn. Work is expected to be completed by 31 May 2028, and they ...

This story continues at Lockheed Martin wins $4.9bn contract for missile warning satellites

Or just read more coverage at Electronics Weekly

SPRINT backs UK five space tech projects

The UK’s Space Research and Innovation Network for Technology (SPRINT) – via funding from the UK Space Agency – is supporting five new space projects involving industry and university collaboration. The universities involved are Edinburgh, Leicester and Southampton, and the startup companies are Absolar, ArchAI, Geospace Agricultural, Redshift, Trade in Space and XCAM. The aims ...

This story continues at SPRINT backs UK five space tech projects

Or just read more coverage at Electronics Weekly

Data-comms Simulation Kit addresses CAN FD and LIN devices

Warwick Control Technologies has released a Simulation Kit that allows users to simulate CAN, CAN FD and LIN devices and networks. It can also be used to simulate devices and networks for the SAE J1939, NMEA2000 and CANopen CAN higher layer protocols. These are data-communication protocols typically used for high-speed broadcasting of sensor data, whether ...

This story continues at Data-comms Simulation Kit addresses CAN FD and LIN devices

Or just read more coverage at Electronics Weekly

NASA backs EUVST and EZIE explorations of space weather

NASA is backing two heliophysics missions to explore space weather and the Sun, bidding to better understand the Sun and Earth as an interconnected system: the Solar-C EUVST and EZIE missions. Solar-C EUVST The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency leads the Solar-C EUVST Mission (Extreme Ultraviolet High-Throughput Spectroscopic Telescope), which is due to launch in 2026. ...

This story continues at NASA backs EUVST and EZIE explorations of space weather

Or just read more coverage at Electronics Weekly

Lockheed Martin buys Aerojet Rocketdyne for extra propulsion

Lockheed Martin is buying Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, the aerospace and defence rocket engine manufacturer, in a transaction valued at $4.4 billion. The proposed acquisition will add “substantial expertise” in propulsion to Lockheed Martin’s portfolio, says the company, with the deal expected to be completed in the second half of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and ...

This story continues at Lockheed Martin buys Aerojet Rocketdyne for extra propulsion

Or just read more coverage at Electronics Weekly

Westcott Space Cluster to support satellite propulsion testing

The Westcott Space Cluster in Aylesbury is to get a satellite propulsion test facility, the Science Minister Amanda Solloway has announced. The new centre is intended to enable companies and academics to test space propulsion engines at up to 1.5kN in high-altitude vacuum, an equivalent test altitude of 140,000ft, said the government. It will allow ...

This story continues at Westcott Space Cluster to support satellite propulsion testing

Or just read more coverage at Electronics Weekly

China’s Chang’e 5 lunar samples complete their journey to Earth

Lunar samples successfully collected by China’s Chang’e 5 robotic probe have completed their journey to Earth, according to Chinese media. The rocks and dust from the moon had been previously been delivered from Chang’e 5’s ascender to its reentry capsule. It represents the first mission since 1976 – the Soviet Union’s Luna 24 mission – ...

This story continues at China’s Chang’e 5 lunar samples complete their journey to Earth

Or just read more coverage at Electronics Weekly

NASA boosts SmallSats via Launch Services Program

NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) has awarded three contracts to launch small satellites (SmallSats) to space, including CubeSats, microsats or nanosatellites. The three US companies selected to provide the commercial launches are Astra Space, Relativity Space and Firefly Black LLC. And the value of their fixed-price contracts, $3.9m, $3.0m and $9.8m, respectively Miniature satellites help ...

This story continues at NASA boosts SmallSats via Launch Services Program

Or just read more coverage at Electronics Weekly