The Pulse
Space Insider
Making Space Technology accessible through media, news, insights and data
Happy Friday Space Enthusiasts!
Please read below -- and check out Space Impulse as well -- to review the most interesting space industry and science news that showcase how scientists and engineers are leveraging the power and resources of space to solve problems on Earth.
From agriculture, the insurance sector, through maritime and infrastructure, Earth observation satellites even help mitigate problems arising from climate change on our planet. Space-based research in microgravity environments improve healthcare, while numerous scientific experiments and technical demonstrations give us deeper understanding of the world surrounding us as well as making everyday life easier for us.
UK Space Conference is where sector innovators and leaders across business, public sector, and academia chart the future of technology and business in space.?
UK Space Conference touches down at Belfast ICC from 21-23 November 2023.?This is the UK Space Agency conference, where the international space sector comes to discover great British innovation.?
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Renowned Swiss astrophysicist, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, has spent a remarkable career exploring the intricacies of space technology. Born in a closed religious community that he likens to the Amish, Zurbuchen’s journey into the cosmos began by peering up at the night sky and being intrigued by its beauty. He tackled his curiosity by studying physics and astrophysics, developing skills which would lay the foundation of his further career. We spoke to Zurbuchen at the?Economist Impact’s Space Economy Summit.
Space Solar has announced an innovation partnership with Thales Alenia Space to continue their collaboration on the first commercial space-based solar power (SBSP) system. The companies have been working together for over 6 months on the UK Government’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero’s ‘Net Zero Innovation Programme’ developing the concept and assessing mission architectures. Thales Alenia Space has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to lead a feasibility study for the SOLARIS initiative which will determine the viability of a project to provide clean energy from spaceborne solar power plants.
Arkadia Space announces the closure of a €2.8 million (US $2.97 million) seed funding round from private and public sources. Venture capital firm Draper B1 leads this funding round with the backing of Spacetech fund Expansion Ventures. The objective of this round is to boost the development and in-orbit validation of Arkadia Space’s initial products.
MDA has completed the previously announced acquisition of SatixFy Space Systems UK, the digital payload division of SatixFy Communications. The acquisition accelerates MDA’s market expansion in the UK and adds strategic in-country capability to produce satellite payloads. The acquisition will support the UK’s objective to maintain its leadership in the growing global satellite market.
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Orbital Sustainability (ORBITS) Act, a bipartisan bill to establish a first-of-its-kind demonstration program to reduce the amount of space junk in orbit. There are approximately 8,000 metric tons of space junk currently in orbit, including at least 900,000 individual pieces of debris that are potentially lethal to satellites. Every year, there are cases of space junk falling to Earth.
Sierra Space revealed the Dream Chaser spaceplane. The first vehicle is complete and will ship to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio for environmental testing in coming weeks. The inaugural Dream Chaser spaceplane, “Tenacity,” is poised to embark on its initial seven cargo missions to and from the International Space Station, carrying essential supplies such as food, water and scientific experiments.
Funding from Voima Ventures, Nordic Foodtech VC, Earth VC, Springvest, and Business Finland propel Kuva Space into a new phase of expansion and innovation, bringing hyperspectral insights about built and natural assets on Earth from space. Kuva Space has successfully raised €16.6 million (US $17.66 million) in funding. The company will use the capital to accelerate the development of its patented hyperspectral camera and space technology, double its team size, and launch its AI analytics platform.
Zephr announced a US $3.5 million seed round led by Space Capital and First Spark Ventures. The company is launching a groundbreaking “networked GPS” solution to dramatically improve GPS accuracy and reliability, creating new economic opportunities for many current and emerging industries. The new funding will support Zephr’s GTM strategy as the company gears up for rapid growth over the next year.
Alliance Velocity, a Seattle-based space tech advisory firm, headed by Stan Shull, is leveraging the power of inter-commercial cooperation and streamlined business models to catalyse a new space economy.
Interested in Deep Tech? Check out?The Metaverse Insider,?The Quantum Insider, AI Insider and Climate Insider?to take your knowledge of deep tech farther and even deeper.