Teledyne e2v’s Space Imaging division completes signing of Thales Alenia Space contract for the supply of a specialized image sensor for the Multi-Angle Polarimeter (MAP)

CHELMSFORD, UK, December 15, 2020 (Teledyne e2v) – Teledyne e2v, a part of the Teledyne Imaging Group, will supply image sensors to the recently announced grouped proposal of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) industrial policy committee to place six Copernicus Sentinel satellite missions in space. As the sensor partner for Thales Alenia Space, the UK team will develop, manufacture and supply variants of their Capella CMOS visible image sensor from Chelmsford.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., December 15, 2020 (Redwire PR) – Redwire, a new leader in mission critical space solutions and high reliability components for the next generation space economy, announced today that it has acquired LoadPath, a leading developer of payload adapters, deployable structures, and thermal products for the space industry. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“LoadPath brings market-leading capabilities to augment Redwire’s space infrastructure portfolio and broaden our range of technology products and services to support our customers’ missions,” said Peter Cannito, Chairman and CEO of Redwire. “We are excited to work with Adam and Greg and the LoadPath team to leverage their impressive technology flight heritage and advance their capabilities as a part of Redwire.”

This week on The Space Show with Dr. David Livingston: 1. Monday, Dec. 14, 2020; 7 PM PST (9 PM CST; 10 PM EST) NO PROGRAM TODAY. 2. Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, 7 PM PST (9 PM CST; 10 PM EST): We welcome back Bob Zimmerman for a 2020 space roundup, a look at 2021 and more. See his website, www.behindtheblack.com. 3. Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020; Hotel Mars TBA pre-recorded. […]

LOD, Israel (IAI PR) — President of Israel Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin today, Wednesday 9 December / 23 Kislev, hosted the launch of the Beresheet 2 project, the second Israeli spacecraft to be launched to the moon. Minister of Science and Technology Yizhar Shai, Founder of SpaceIL Kfir Damri, CEO of Space IL Shimon Sarid and CEO of IAI Boaz Levy also participated in the event.

SOLNA, Sweden (SSC PR) — SSC is pleased to announce investment in a new start-up data analytics business with offices in the UK and Sweden to address some of the most crucial environmental and social issues of the time. GlobalTrust will focus on supporting public policy and corporate social responsibility imperatives that are aligned with societies’ expectations and working towards a better and more sustainable planet.

This initiative is being led by SSC and is supported by the UK’s Satellite Applications Catapult – a government established not-for-profit company with its core mandate focused on promoting and enabling industrial growth in the space sector.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

It was a flight 22 months in the making. But, when it came time for the rubber to meet the oxidizer, the whole thing suddenly flamed out.

The hybrid engine on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity failed to fire properly on Saturday, sending the suborbital rocket plane, pilots David Mackay and C.J. Sturckow and a load of NASA-sponsored experiments into a rapid descent and landing back at Spaceport America, instead of a graceful parabolic arc into suborbital space.

ABINGDON, UK (Reaction Engines PR) — Reaction Engines is delighted to announce the conclusion of a concept study, conducted alongside the European Space Agency (ESA) Directorate of Space Transportation, into SABRE-Powered Launch for the anticipated 2030+ launch market.

VOSTOCHNY COSMODROME, Russia (Arianespace PR) — OneWeb – the global satellite communications company based in the UK – resumes flights.

This 53rd Soyuz mission conducted by Arianespace and its Starsem affiliate will be operated from Vostochny Cosmodrome and represents OneWeb’s fourth launch overall and the third for this year.

WASHINGTON (U.S. DOT PR) — The U.S. Department of Transportation is having a record year with supporting 35 licensed commercial space launches thus far in 2020 with the potential for even more before the year ends. The prior record of 33 was established in 2018.

“The record number of launches demonstrates this administration’s commitment to support the innovation and growth of the U.S. commercial space transportation industry and lead the world in aerospace capabilities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

HOUSTON (NASA PR) — NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) have selected three astronauts to serve as crew members for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station, which is expected to launch in the fall of 2021.

The trio will consist of NASA astronauts Raja Chari and  Tom Marshburn, who will serve as commander and pilot, respectively, and ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, who will serve as a mission specialist. A fourth crew member will be added at a later date, following a review by NASA and its international partners.

PARIS (ESA PR) — ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer has been assigned to his first flight to the International Space Station during a meeting of representatives from the US, Russian, Japanese, Canadian and European space agencies at the beginning of December.

Matthias’ mission is expected to begin in autumn 2021. He will be the second ESA astronaut to fly under NASA’s Commercial Crew Programme and is expected to be launched from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, as part of SpaceX Crew-3, along with NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Thomas H. Marshburn.

By Hillary Smith
NASA’s Game Changing Development Program

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Future lunar landers might come equipped with 3D printed rocket engine parts that help bring down overall manufacturing costs and reduce production time. NASA is investing in advanced manufacturing – one of five industries of the future – to make it possible.