UK startup achieves major breakthrough in quest for space-based solar power
A UK startup has claimed a major breakthrough in its plans to beam solar energy from space to Earth. At a lab in Belfast, Oxford-based Space Solar managed to light…
ESA to build ChatGPT-style Earth observation digital assistant
The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced it will build a ChatGPT-style digital assistant to help humans better decode complex Earth observation data. Led by Φ-lab (Phi-Lab) — the agency’s…
UK startup launches AI satellite to provide near real-time images of Earth
UK-based space tech startup Open Cosmos has successfully launched a new AI-powered satellite that can provide near real-time views of Earth. The satellite, HAMMER — short for Hyperspectral AI for…
ESA picks Germany’s Exolaunch for arctic weather satellite mission
The European Space Agency (ESA) has picked Germany’s Exolaunch to provide critical launch services for its Artic Weather Satellite (AWS), as the agency looks to outsource more of its space…
ESA embarks on world-first mission to detect ripples in the fabric of space-time
The European Space Agency (ESA) has approved the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, the first scientific endeavour to detect and study cosmic ripples from space. The launch of LISA…
ESA orbiter discovers huge ice water deposits at Mars’ equator
A European probe has found massive ice deposits beneath the equator of Mars, a finding that could alter our fundamental understanding of the red planet’s climatic history. The discovery was…
First commercial crew of all-European astronauts launches to International Space Station
A private space mission launched four European astronauts to the International Space Station on Thursday, in a milestone for a region desperate to boost its space credentials following a series…
This ‘digital twin’ of the planet could rival Google Earth — here’s how you can try it
French startup Kermap has developed a ‘digital twin’ of the Earth that claims to offer the most up-to-date views of our home planet. The programme is called Nimbo Earth Online…
This spectrometer was set to be the first-ever European tech on the moon. But it might never get there
A US rocket carrying the first ever European-built tech set to land on the moon successfully launched in the early hours of Monday morning. Known as an Exospheric Mass Spectrometer…
TNW Podcast: Tomas Hrozensky (ESPI) on policy in space
In this bonus episode of the TNW Podcast, we’re featuring an interview with Tomas Hrozensky, Senior Researcher and Lead on European Engagement at the European Space Policy Institute. We discussed…
Wind-powered cargo ship takes Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket to launch site
After numerous setbacks, the European Space Agency recently announced that its next-generation rocket, Ariane 6, is set to launch in just six months’ time. If successful, the heavy-lift launcher will…
Ariane 6 rocket set to restore Europe’s space access next year
The European Space Agency’s Ariane 6 rocket is scheduled for its debut launch in mid-2024, its director Josef Aschbacher announced yesterday. The news follows a successful hot-fire test on November…