ITALY MOVES AHEAD WITH STUDY FOR 100-SATELLITE CONSTELLATION - The Italian government has approved Phase 2 of a feasibility study exploring the possibility of the country developing an 100-satellite constellation. While few details have been announced, initial reports indicate that the constellation will support communications and be designed for interoperability with other similar systems. More (Source: SatNews - Apr 18)
SATELLITES SHOW CHINESE MOVES AGAINST US ALLY - New satellite imagery has revealed for the first time a hulking steel rig in the Yellow Sea between China and South Korea that has inflamed tensions between the two nations. The photographs, supplied exclusively to Newsweek, show the latest of several large steel platforms that China has installed in the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ), a jointly managed stretch of the Yellow Sea, known in Korea as the West Sea, where the Chinese and South Korean exclusive economic zones (EEZs) overlap. More (Source: Newsweek - Apr 18)
“TRANSFORMATIONAL” SATELLITE WILL MONITOR EARTH’S SURFACE CHANGES - In a few weeks, Earth scientists will launch a satellite that will provide unprecedented, high-resolution coverage of some of the most remote and rapidly changing parts of the world. The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, a joint mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will scan nearly the entire globe twice every 12 days to measure changes in Earth’s ecosystems, cryosphere, and land surface. More (Source: Eos.org - Apr 18)
NASA SAFETY PANEL WARNS OF INCREASING RISKS TO ISS OPERATIONS - Members of a NASA safety panel said they were “deeply concerned” about the safety of the aging International Space Station, citing long-running issues and funding shortfalls. During a public meeting of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) April 17, members expressed concerns about growing risks as the station nears its projected end in 2030. “The ISS has entered the riskiest period of its existence,” said Rich Williams, a member of the panel, arguing there were “increasing risks” to the station. More (Source: SpaceNews - Apr 18)
CHINA ROLLS OUT ROCKET FOR SHENZHOU 20 ASTRONAUT LAUNCH TO ITS TIANGONG SPACE STATION - China is gearing up to launch its latest astronaut crew into orbit. A Long March 2F rocket, topped with the Shenzhou 20 crew spacecraft, was rolled out to its launch pad at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Wednesday (April 16), according to Chinese state media. The 203-foot-long (62 meters) rocket was transferred vertically by rail, taking it 0.93 miles (1.5 kilometers) from the integration building to the pad, over the course of around two hours. More (Source: Space.com - Apr 18)
MULTILATERAL COORDINATION WILL BE NEEDED FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE STATIONS - Even as NASA and its partners on the International Space Station shift to commercial space stations, NASA’s former deputy administrator believes there will still be a role for multilateral coordination of work on those stations. Speaking at a Royal Aeronautical Society symposium on international space partnerships here April 16, Pam Melroy, a former astronaut who served as deputy administrator of NASA in the Biden administration, said the experience of the ISS shows the need for coordination among partners on future commercial stations. More (Source: SpaceNews - Apr 18)
CHINA LAUNCHES WORLD'S FIRST THREE-SATELLITE CONSTELLATION IN EARTH-MOON SPACE - China has established the world's first three-satellite constellation based on the Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) in the Earth-moon region of space, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on Monday. Developed under the CAS class A strategic priority program "Earth-Moon Space DRO Exploration," the three satellites have stably established million-kilometer-level inter-satellite measurement and communication links in this region of space. More (Source: Ecns.cn - Apr 17)
HERE’S HOW A SATELLITE ENDED UP AS A GHOSTLY APPARITION ON GOOGLE EARTH - Dig deep on Google Earth and you'll inevitably find a surprise or two. Maybe you're looking at far-flung islands in the middle of an ocean or checking in on something closer to home. A few years ago, online sleuths found an image of a B-2 stealth bomber in flight over Missouri. The aircraft is smeared in the image because it was in motion, while the farm fields below appear as crisp as any other view on Google Earth. More (Source: Ars Technica - Apr 16)
EXPERIENCE THE LAUNCH OF NASA’S SPACEX CREW-11 MISSION - Digital content creators are invited to register to attend the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to carry astronauts to the International Space Station for a science expedition as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. This will be the 15th time a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched by a Falcon 9 rocket takes crews to the orbital laboratory. Launch of the Crew-11 mission is targeted for no earlier than July 2025 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida. The launch will carry NASA astronauts Commander Zena Cardman and Pilot Mike Fincke, and mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. More (Source: NASA - Apr 16)
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