Sat, Jun 23, 2018

A Milestone Is Reached In Securing ESA's Future Global Space Exploration Role

Builds On On E3P Created By ESA's Ministers In 2016

Over the past 18 months, ESA and its Member States have gathered in a series of space exploration workshops culminating in a discussion in the ESA Council held in Paris last week.

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Sat, Jun 23, 2018

Four Satellites Being Prepped For Ariane 5's Next Galileo Launch

Launch Scheduled For July

The four Galileo satellites for Arianespace’s next Ariane 5 mission at the service of Europe’s navigation system are coming together in their flight configuration, while parallel preparations continue with the mission’s heavy-lift launcher.

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Fri, Jun 22, 2018

RemoveDEBRIS Spacecraft Launched From ISS

Employs Airbus Space Debris Capture Removal Technology

The space debris removal technology mission RemoveDEBRIS, led by the Surrey Space Center (SSC) at the University of Surrey, has been launched into orbit from the International Space Station (ISS). RemoveDEBRIS will demonstrate a range of innovative technologies to clean up space debris, with the first Airbus designed and built experiment due for deployment in October 2018.

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Fri, Jun 22, 2018

Airborne 06.22.18: Ballooning Record, Vietnam Pilot Returns, B-1B Resumes

Also: Surf Air Defaults, Chicago Airports Chief Resigns, FAA Has Openings, AAL Executive Cuts 

After more than 6 months of preparation pilot Bill Smith of Louisville, KY completed a flight to nearly 32,000 ft. on Saturday June 16. According to a Balloon Federation of America Facebook post, Bill flew his brand new Lindstrand 105 named Phantom during a perfectly executed high altitude flight. The weather conditions were perfect, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and Bill actually covered more vertical distance (6 miles up, 6 miles down) than he did horizontally, landing less than 7 miles from where he took off. You know that freedom you enjoy? This is about one of the men that kept it safe for you... Maj. James Blair White went missing in Southeast Asia on Nov. 24, 1969. He was finally laid to rest at West Point alongside of his mother, father and brother, June 19, 2018. His wife, Sharon Cook, and daughter, Katherine White, were in attendance. Katherine was less than a year

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Fri, Jun 22, 2018

Harris Delivers Advanced Environmental Monitoring Sensor For Japanese Satellite

GOSAT-2 Will Increase Ability To Measure Greenhouse Gases From Space

Harris Corporation has delivered an environmental monitoring sensor for the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite-2 (GOSAT-2), which will significantly enhance Japan’s ability to monitor greenhouse gases from space.

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Thu, Jun 21, 2018

Chris Hadfield Says Manned Mission To Mars Is Far In The Future

Believes Existing Technology Is Not Up To The Task

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield is skeptical about a manned mission to Mars being mounted by NASA, SpaceX or Blue Origin, the three entities who have publicly touted their efforts to do so.

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Thu, Jun 21, 2018

AMA Drone Report 06.21.18: NC Drone Summit, AMA v Raleigh Regs, Yuneec Typhoon H Plus

Also: ERAU UAS Program, UK Drone Rescue, ANN/AMA Oshkosh Coverage, Fat Shark 101

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is planning a Drone Summit and Flight Expo for August 5-7. Participants include key industry representatives, technology pathfinders, influential government officials, and pioneering users. A dynamic agenda of keynote talks, panel discussions, and contributed presentations covers the spectrum of commercial and public safety UAS applications. A Flight Expo will showcase drone mission capabilities by flying demonstration missions on site during the conference. AMA scored another round of cooperative responses from the City of Raleigh -- whom they counseled and worked with to craft a set of more reasonable regs than were originally proposed. AMA’s Tyler Dobbs told ANN’s AMA Drone Report that, “AMA worked with the city of Raleigh for a number of months to remove the problematic language from the original draft. This final version is a

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Thu, Jun 21, 2018

Black Swift Technologies Awarded NASA Contract

Will Develop UAS For Atmospheric Observations Of Venus

Black Swift Technologies (BST), a specialized engineering firm recognized for its purpose-built scientific aerial platforms, has been awarded a NASA contract to develop an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to perform upper atmospheric observations of the planet Venus.

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Thu, Jun 21, 2018

NASA Awards The Short Wave Infrared Sensor Chip Assembly For WFIRST

California Company Will Provide 72 Devices For The Spacecraft

NASA has awarded a contract to Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC, Camarillo, California, for the Short Wave Infrared Sensor Chip Assembly (SCA) for the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) Project.

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Thu, Jun 21, 2018

ESA Sentinel-3 Flies Tandem

Two Satellites Flying In Formation In Orbit

The key to monitoring Earth’s changing environment and to guaranteeing a consistent stream of satellite data to improve our daily lives is to take the same measurements over the course of decades. But how do you know that measurements from successive satellites, even though identical in build, are like for like?

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