SpaceWatch.Global An independent perspective on space

April, 2024

• 29 April

  Airbus Expands its EO Constellation with Pléiades Neo Next

  

  Airbus has launched the Pléiades Neo Next program to expand its very high-resolution Earth observation constellation. This new program will result in new satellite assets and capabilities, including enhanced native resolution. As a first step of Pléiades Neo Next, Airbus is also developing a new satellite which will launch in the next few years.

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• 29 April

  ESA Opens Ideas Factory to Boost Space Innovation in Austria

  

  The European Space Agency (ESA) has opened a center to innovate the design and manufacture of space hardware in Vienna. Driving commercialization in space, it is the first of its kind of ESA-backed disruptive innovation centres outside ESA’s own premises. Consequently, work at the center will focus on accelerating the development of manufacturing for space, including the rapid prototyping of new materials, propulsion systems and making spacecraft and satellites.

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• 28 April

  Space Nuggets 17/2023 – Island nations, Earth Observation and the road ahead: SINC 2024

  

  In this week's Space Nuggets Dr Emma Gatti reflects on her experience at the Space for Islands Conference and the forthcoming opportunities for new space economies. This past week she was in Maldives attending SINC 2024 and spoke about the stark differences between youth driven organisations like MSRO (Maldives Space Research Organisation) who organised SINC and conferences like the Space Symposium.

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• 26 April

  WarpSpace Completes High Sensitivity Sensor Development

  

  Warpspace, aiming to realize near real-time optical communication services in space using small satellites, has developed a high-sensitivity acquisition and tracking optical sensor necessary for long-distance optical communications between the Moon and Earth, under contract from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

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• 26 April

  ispace-U.S Launch Data Relay Service Using Two Relay Satellites

  

  ispace technologies U.S., inc. (ispace-U.S.) has announced the official launch of a new data relay service enabled by two relay satellites that will tentatively deploy during ispace-U.S.’s Mission 3 scheduled in 2026. SpaceX will also be tentatively providing the launch service. ispace-U.S. released the details for the relay service at the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium 2024 Spring Meeting, which the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory hosted.

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