China’s first Mars exploration mission has released a series of global images of Mars obtained by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The coloured images were released during the launch event of the Space Day of China in Hefei, Anhui Province. The images include the following: The orthographic projection of the eastern and western hemispheres of Mars. The Robinson projection of Mars. The Mercator projection. An azimuthal projection of the planet. These images have a spatial resolution of 76 metres and are based on 14,757 image data acquired by a remote-sensing camera on the…
Author: Team Interstellar
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Azerbaijan has chosen Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to supply two satellites for USD 120 million. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen confirmed the deal during his visit to Baku last week. Azerbaijan currently operates two communications and one Earth observation satellite. However, its national space agency, Azercosmos, reported last week that it had lost contact with the Earth observation satellite a year before it was due to complete its mission. The agency ascertained that the satellite was damaged by space debris or a meteorite, and attempts to restore communications failed. This satellite procurement deal with IAI could be part of a…
Turkey joined the global space race as it launched its first-ever observation satellite, IMECE, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on April 15. The sub-meter high-resolution earth observation satellite has been domestically developed and designed by TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute. The cutting-edge features of the satellite include a flight computer, communication systems, and an electro-optical camera, capable of taking high-definition imagery everywhere on Earth while circling the globe at an altitude of 680 kilometres. Apart from target detection and identification, Turkey intends to utilise the IMECE satellite for disaster management, mapping, and agricultural practices. The satellite’s mission…
Chinese scientists have proposed a unique exploration program called the Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey (CHES) to search for habitable planets from “near neighbours” of our solar system. The program involves sending a 1.2-meter-aperture telescope into a Halo orbit at the second Lagrangian point of the Sun-Earth system. Using high-precision astrometry, the telescope will survey approximately 100 Sun-like stars within 32 light years away from our solar system, detecting the number, planetary mass, and 3D orbits of nearby planets. The CHES team, led by principal investigator Ji Jianghui from the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has…
ST Engineering, a Singapore-based engineering firm, has successfully deployed its first polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) satellite, TeLEOS-2, in partnership with Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA). This satellite was successfully launched by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle at 1419 hrs (Indian Standard Time) on April 22, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, India. TeLEOS-2 has been equipped with a made-in-Singapore SAR payload, which captures both daytime and nighttime images under all-weather conditions at high resolutions, with full polarimetry for a broad range of satellite data applications. With this launch, ST Engineering aims to enhance its commercial…
Airbus has been working in India for quite some time now in the space sector and has had a great experience collaborating with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), says Stephane Vesval, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Airbus Defense & Space. In a chat with Nitin A. Gokhale, founder of interstellar.news, Stephane said Airbus sees a momentum in the Indian space domain and is focusing on collaboration with the private industry to support the ‘Make in India’ initiative. He also talked about challenges in the space sector.
China’s Tsinghua Science Satellite is crucial in collecting data to help precisely track and forecast space debris. Wang Zhaokui, a professor at Tsinghua University, shared this information at the 5th Committee on Space Research Symposium held in Singapore on Thursday. Launched from northwestern China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on August 6, 2020, the satellite generally operates in orbit. It continuously collects precision orbital data to improve the Earth’s upper atmosphere model, essential to precisely tracking and forecasting space debris. According to Wang, the satellite weighs 21.2 kg and operates from an altitude of 500 km. It features a unique pure…
Fleet Space Technologies, an emerging Australian player in the global New Space industry, is collaborating with Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), the University of South Australia, Rice Satcom Pty Ltd., and SmartSat CRC to launch a new program called ASCEND2LEO. This program aims to demonstrate low Earth orbit (LEO) capabilities for the warfighter by leveraging modern commercial space technology provided by commercial satellites of Fleet Space, used by the mining industry and combining it with the latest research to advance space capabilities rapidly. Fleet Space Technologies has unique capabilities in low-power, high-performance edge computing in small spacecraft and terrestrial…
SpaceX, Elon Musk’s ambitious space exploration company, recently attempted the first fully integrated flight test of its super-heavy lift launcher, the Starship, at its Boca Chica, Texas facility. The 5ooo tonne combination of the Starship and Super Heavy booster lifted off at 9:34 AM Eastern time after a brief hold. Still, it failed to separate the two stages and came tumbling down after a botched flip manoeuvre before exploding. This event marked the fourth launch attempt of Starship SN8 after SpaceX cancelled three previous attempts due to technical issues. CEO Elon Musk had warned enthusiasts to temper their expectations for…
The Swiss government has adopted a new federal space policy to address outer space’s rapid developments and increasing importance. The policy recognizes the crucial role of satellite-based applications in communication, navigation, weather forecasting, climate analysis, security, and defence. The policy is based on three main strands: “access and resiliency,” which involves leveraging Switzerland’s membership in international bodies to push national interests and promote sustainability; “competitiveness and relevance,” aimed at boosting the country’s already firm standing in space research and innovation; and “partnership and reliability,” which seeks to strengthen rules-based multilateral governance of space. Switzerland’s participation in various international bodies was…
