PARIS (CNES PR) — Rémy Rioux, Managing Director of the French Development Agency (AFD) and Philippe Baptiste, Chairman and CEO of CNES, today renewed a partnership agreement to promote AFD’s adoption of satellite technologies for its work. research and development projects.

Sizing energy production infrastructures and access networks, reducing the digital divide, quickly collecting epidemiological data in the field, anticipating the risks of coastal flooding, these are all examples of the challenges that technologies satellites make it possible to take readings in areas that are difficult to access and lack infrastructure and means of in situ observation.

The renewal of this partnership agreement will allow AFD to benefit from the expertise and support of CNES to raise awareness and train its teams in space, collect and analyze needs in order to support the integration of satellite technologies in its projects, one objective pursued by AFD being to eventually have a tool for monitoring and evaluating projects in developing countries.  

• Microcarb is a science satellite that will trace CO2 sinks and sources on a global scale.
• The requested performance for this launch planned in 2023 is 190kg on a sun-synchronous orbit at 650km.

EVRY-COURCOURONNES, France, January 18, 2022 (Arianespace PR) — Arianespace has been awarded a launch contract by ESA, on behalf of the European Commission, to launch Microcarb in 2023 on Vega C. Microcarb is a 190kg satellite developed by CNES that will be delivered into a sun-synchronous orbit, 650km above the Earth.

• The Ariane 6 core stage and upper stage intended for the combined tests on the launch pad in French Guiana have left the ArianeGroup sites in Les Mureaux and Bremen and begun their journey to Europe’s Spaceport.
• These stages will be integrated by ArianeGroup in the Launcher Assembly Building (BAL) to create the central core for the Ariane 6 combined tests model.
• The combined tests are a crucial step in the development of Ariane 6: for the first time, the rocket and its new launch pad will be tested together and the Vulcain 2.1 motor will be hot-fired.

BREMEN, Germany (ArianeGroup PR) — The Ariane 6 core stage and upper stage are now en route to Europe’s Spaceport. After final assembly at ArianeGroup’s Les Mureaux site and completion of all its functional acceptance tests, the core stage was taken to the French port of Le Havre. The ship then sailed to Bremen, Germany, to load the upper stage – assembled and inspected on-site by ArianeGroup – before setting sail for French Guiana. The two stages are scheduled to arrive at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana in January.

WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — In 2021, NASA completed its busiest year of development yet in low-Earth orbit, made history on Mars, continued to make progress on its Artemis plans for the Moon, tested new technologies for a supersonic aircraft, finalized launch preparations for the next-generation space telescope, and much more – all while safely operating during a pandemic and welcoming new leadership under the Biden-Harris Administration.

PARIS (CNES PR) — 2 years in orbit: success for the 1st French industrial nanosatellite, ANGELS, designed by Hermia, Thales Alenia Space and Syrlinks with the support of CNES and extension of its operational life!

Triumph for ANGELS, the 1st French industrial nanosatellite designed by Hemeria in collaboration with CNES, which is celebrating its two years in orbit, thus marking the end of the initial contractual commitment signed between the two partners.

PARIS (CNES PR) — On Monday, December 20, 2021, CNES launched a call for applications to host micro and mini-launchers at the Guiana Space Centre, thus expressing, in close collaboration with ESA, its desire to open the spaceport of the Europe to new operators. Applicants have until January 31, 2022 to submit their application.

PARIS (CNES PR) — With a view to preparing for the future, the development of new dense and energetic propellants (HEDM) is one of the avenues to be explored to optimize the performance of launchers.

By Alison Gold
NASA’s Earth Science News Team

NASA will launch four Earth science missions in 2022 to provide scientists with more information about fundamental climate systems and processes including extreme storms, surface water and oceans, and atmospheric dust. Scientists will discuss the upcoming missions at the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) 2021 Fall Meeting, hosted in New Orleans between Dec. 13 and 17.

PARIS (ESA PR) — The latest type of telecommunication satellite that can respond from space to changing demands on Earth is about to start assembly of its electronic components.

The highly flexible satellite is setting a new paradigm for geostationary telecommunication satellites, by using off-the-shelf commercial components in the standardised physical hardware and using just software to configure bespoke missions.

PARIS (CNES PR) — The acceleration program for European space start-ups SpaceFounders has entered its final “FUND” phase, that of seeking funding, a phase which will last over time, probably until 2022, but which is looming and already very promising. The Demo Days, which were held successively, in Berlin on Tuesday, 23 November, and in Paris on Thursday, 25 November, were a real success. They enabled privileged meetings with investors, partners or large institutional clients. 

The 10 successful start-ups of the program were able to present their strategy and their ambition to become the world champions of the New Space of tomorrow, in front of more than 40 private investors, venture capital funds, European family offices and business angels.