The hardware-software environment, developed by D-Orbit in collaboration with Unibap, will enable satellite operators to run artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms (AI/ML) apps and provide low-latency information products

HARWELL, UK (D-Orbit PR) — Space transportation and logistics company D-Orbit has successfully completed the orbital testing of Nebula, a cloud platform designed to provide distributed high-performance data analytics computing and storage capabilities in space. Nebula is a hardware-software environment that enables end-users to uplink and run software and artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) apps in a way similar to conventional, terrestrial cloud environments.

This first iteration of the system has been built in collaboration with Swedish based AI company Unibap on top of their radiation-tolerant iX5-100 SpaceCloud platform, which features a combination of central processing unit (CPU), graphical process unit (GPU), and vision processing unit (VPU) chips, solid-state storage, and an optimized Linux-based operating system running SpaceCloud framework API.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

With warnings about an imminent climate crisis and decreasing competitiveness, an independent advisory group has recommended the European Space Agency (ESA) urgently transform the way it uses space by establishing accelerators in three key areas leveraging commercialization, user-driven approaches and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

“While space has the potential to enable effective and resilient solutions to tackle major societal challenges, it remains underutilised,” the advisory panel wrote. “The ESA Director General should investigate options for increasing the societal and economic impact of space, prioritising user-driven solutions and leveraging commercialisation, through a new concept of action, Accelerators, building on ESA’s programmatic capacities and acquired excellence.”

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., October 20, 2021 (CASIS PR) – The International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory has unveiled a research announcement seeking proposals to demonstrate biomanufacturing activities in microgravity. Targeted fields such as tissue engineering and biomanufacturing provide use cases for how ISS National Lab-sponsored research may lead to new biological products and tools that benefit humankind and drive a sustainable market in low Earth orbit.

TOULOUSE, France (CNES PR) — After meeting in Munich in early September, SpaceFounders, CNES ‘100% space-based Franco-German acceleration program, moved to Toulouse, from October 11 to 15, for a week of intensive work with the 10 winning European startups. The program entered its “Boost” phase, which aims to accelerate each startup, in particular by establishing relationships with customers, partners, suppliers and key resources from European aeronautics and space capitals.

Soon, the winning startups will enter the third phase of the program, that of seeking funding, in particular through the organization of Demo Days. The Paris Demo Day will take place on November 25 at the Hôtel de la Marine and will be organized in two stages. Privileged meetings with investors, partners or large institutional clients will be followed by a sequence on CNES’s commitment to support the European ecosystem of space startups to face space giants and startups from the United States and from Asia.

• For its 11th launch of the year, the second using Ariane 5, Arianespace orbited two geostationary satellites: SES-17, a telecommunications satellite operated by SES, and SYRACUSE 4A, a telecommunications satellite developed for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. Thales Alenia Space manufactured both.
• For its 111th launch, Ariane 5 executed the highest performing flight by any launcher to geostationary transfer orbit: with two payloads on board, SES-17 and SYRACUSE 4A, with a total mass of 10264 kg, Ariane 5 achieves a world record for injection into this orbit. This launch also included a 1.5 m extension placed under the long fairing in order to adapt it to the specific needs of its two passengers.

KOUROU, French Guiana (Arianespace PR) — On Sunday, October 24, at 02:10 UTC, Ariane 5 lifted off from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, successfully orbiting two satellites built by Thales Alenia Space: SES-17, a telecommunications satellite operated by SES, and SYRACUSE 4A, a telecommunications satellite developed for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.

KOUROU, French Guiana (Arianespace PR) — The investigations on the ground equipment being completed and the anomaly having been identified and corrected, the new launch window for Ariane Flight VA255: Between 09:01 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Washington, D.C. time, on October 23; Between 10:01 p.m. and 00:30 a.m. Kourou time, on October 23; Between 01:01 a.m. and 03:30 a.m. Universal time (UTC), on October 24; Between 03:01 a.m. and 05:30 a.m. Paris […]

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (NASA PR) — NASA’s Orion spacecraft is secured atop the agency’s powerful Space Launch System rocket, and the integrated system is entering the final phase of preparations for an upcoming uncrewed flight test around the Moon. The mission, known as Artemis I, will pave the way for a future flight test with crew before NASA establishes a regular cadence of more complex missions with astronauts on and around the Moon under Artemis. With stacking complete, a series of integrated tests now sit between the mega-Moon rocket and targeted liftoff for deep space in February 2022.

PARIS (CNES PR) — On Thursday, October 14, 2021, there was held the Pitch Day of the Launchers R&D Challenge proposed by the CNES Launchers Department on the theme “technological breakthroughs and advanced concepts of launch systems”. 

Start-ups, SMEs, associations, laboratories and large industrial groups presented their innovation proposals to an audience bringing together experts from the space fabric, partners, supervisors, manufacturers.

In total, 550,000 euros in CNES contracts were won by the winners, each with 50,000 or 100,000 euros, to advance their solution. The winners are:

PARIS (ESA PR) — Earth observation provides a wealth of information to benefit our daily lives. As the demand for satellite data grows to address the challenges of climate change and a growing population, ESA, under the leadership of the European Commission, along with its key European partners, are developing high precision digital models of Earth to monitor and simulate both natural and human activity, to enable more sustainable development and support European environmental policies.

Today, at the ESA Council, Member States approved a ‘Contribution Agreement’, which paves the way for cooperation with the European Commission on the Destination Earth initiative, in the context of the Digital Agenda of the European Union.

MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — Since the landing of the descent vehicle of the manned transport spacecraft “Yu.A. Gagarin ”(Soyuz MS-18), on which the Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky delivered space flight participants – director Klim Shipenko and actress Yulia Peresild – to Earth, less than a week had passed. The crew commander is back at work. The rehabilitation period does not exclude the participation of the cosmonaut in experiments directly related to his professional activities.

KOUROU, French Guiana (ESA PR) — On 21 October 2011, the first pair of Galileo navigation satellites was launched by a Russian-built Soyuz rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

The introduction of Russia’s Soyuz 2 rocket to Europe’s Spaceport was a milestone of strategic cooperation in the space transportation sector between Europe and the Russian Federation, and an exciting new opportunity for ESA.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

NASA announced on Friday that the space agency is planning to long-delayed maiden flight of its massive Space Launch System (SLS) during a 15-day window in February. The rocket will send an uncrewed Orion spacecraft on flight test around the moon.