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…
Author: Team Interstellar
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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…
Hyundai Motor Group has partnered with six Korean research institutes in the aerospace sector to build an early prototype of a lunar exploration mobility rover. The rover would feature a solar charging system, autonomous driving capabilities, thermal management, and radiation shielding. It would carry equipment up to a maximum weight of 70kg. The Group aims to complete the initial development model by the second half of 2024 and launch a model with launch capability in 2027. Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation will provide the following: Advanced robotics and autonomous driving technologies. Driving systems. Charging parts as part of a…
Kenya hosted a three-day Technical Advisory Mission (TAM) workshop from the 18th to the 20th of April, 2023, in partnership with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). The event was held at the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi, to provide capacity-building and legal consultancy services in international space law and establish mechanisms in Kenya for setting national regulatory and policy frameworks attuned to its various space activities. The effort is an important step ahead for Nairobi since the launch of its first satellite, Taifa-1, earlier in April 2023. The workshop saw the participation of various stakeholders from…
Seeds that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) had sent into space last year have successfully returned to Earth, marking a significant milestone in their efforts to develop crops that are more resilient to the effects of climate change. With global temperatures rising and the population increasing, farmers worldwide need help to meet the growing demand for food. Through their Joint FAO-IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, they sent seeds into space to explore cosmic radiation’s effects on accelerating crops’ natural genetic adaptation to changing environmental…
