Satellite News
Telesat’s Broadband Connectivity Agreement With The Canadian Government Is Completed
Telesat LEO will provide the reliable, secure, fiber-like broadband connections needed to bridge the digital divide in Canada, ensuring that Canadians living in rural and remote communities have access to affordable high-quality broadband that meets the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) goal of at least 50 Mbps download, 10 Mbps upload speeds with unlimited data.
Telesat remains optimistic about prospects for LEO constellation
As SpaceX prepares to extend its Starlink beta test program to Canada, Telesat remains optimistic its broadband low Earth orbit constellation will find enough business to be successful.
ESA signs a trio of Copernicus contracts worth 1.3 billion euros
The European Space Agency (ESA) signed contracts for three pairs of satellites for the agency’s Earth-observing Copernicus program on Nov. 13 with a total award value of more than 1.3 billion euros ($1.54 billion). CIMR is scheduled to launch in 2028. Each of the two satellites will carry an antenna eight meters in diameter to unfurl in orbit. The antennas are designed to collect L-band microwave emissions from 1.4 to 7 gigahertz. Thales Alenia France leads the CHIME mission with OHB SE of Germany building the instruments, under contracts with a combined value of 455 million euros. Airbus Defence and Space Spain leads development of the third mission, Copernicus Land Surface Temperature Monitoring (LSTM), under a 389 million euro contract. Airbus Defence and Space France is developing LSTM instruments.
Exploration News
SpaceX ready to taxi four up to Space Station
Four astronauts were poised to launch on the SpaceX Crew Dragon “Resilience” to the International Space Station on Sunday, the first of what the US hopes will be many routine missions following a successful test flight in late spring. Three Americans – Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker – and Japan’s Soichi Noguchi will blast off at 7:27 pm Sunday (0027 GMT Monday) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Independent Review Indicates NASA Prepared for Mars Sample Return Campaign
The agency established the MSR Independent Review Board (IRB) to evaluate its early concepts for a groundbreaking, international partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) to return the first samples from another planet. Following an examination of the agency’s ambitious Mars Sample Return
Senate bill offers NASA only a fraction of requested lunar lander funding
A Senate appropriations bill would provide NASA with only a small fraction of the funding it requested for lunar lander development, putting any chance of returning humans to the moon by 2024 in jeopardy.
Launcher News
First Rocket Lab U.S. launch delayed to 2021
The first launch of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from a site in the United States won’t take place until 2021 because of problems with the flight termination system NASA requires the rocket to use.
Spaceflight announces Sherpa tug with electric propulsion
Rideshare launch service provider Spaceflight Inc. announced a new version of its Sherpa tug Nov. 12 equipped with electric propulsion that can send smallsats to high orbits or cislunar space.
NewSpace News
Kleos Space raises funds for additional RF mapping clusters
Luxembourg-based Kleos Space raised $13.8 million following the Nov. 7 launch of its first cluster of radio frequency mapping satellites.
Raytheon Intelligence & Space to Acquire Blue Canyon Technologies
Closure of the acquisition, expected by early 2021, is subject to the completion of customary conditions and regulatory approvals. Blue Canyon Technologies will report into Raytheon Intelligence & Space upon closing
Science & Technology News
The Average Temperature of the Universe has Been Getting Hotter and Hotter
A recent study by an international team of scientists shows that the Universe is getting hotter (not cooler) with time! The post The Average Temperature of the Universe has Been Getting Hotter and Hotter appeared first on Universe Today.
A Second Cable has Failed at Arecibo, Causing Even More Damage to the Radio Observatory
Another main cable that supports the Arecibo Observatory broke last week, falling onto the reflector dish and causing more damage. This is the second time a cable has snapped on the iconic radio observatory in just three months.
The Driest Place on Earth Could Help Predict How Life Might be Surviving on Mars
Scientist find microbes in clay deposits beneath the Atacama desert, a good sign for missions looking for life on Mars The post The Driest Place on Earth Could Help Predict How Life Might be Surviving on Mars appeared first on Universe Today.
Venus Held Onto its Water Surprisingly Well During its History
A new study by a Swedish astrophysicist shows that Venus is not likely to have lost its water to space, which raises new questions about how the planet became the hellhole it is today. The post Venus Held Onto its Water Surprisingly Well During its History appeared first on Universe Today.
Ariel moves from blueprint to reality
ESA’s exoplanet mission Ariel, scheduled for launch in 2029, has moved from study to implementation phase, following which an industrial contractor will be selected to build the spacecraft.
