En route to Dimorphos asteroid The European Space Agency’s Hera mission has made an extraordinary leap in its planetary defence efforts, marking its first scientific use of advanced instruments beyond Earth and the Moon. On its way to explore an asteroid whose orbit was altered by human
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Explore the universe with MENews247‘s Space news. Dive into the latest on space exploration, satellite technology, and astronomical discoveries from the Middle East. Featuring updates on UAE’s Mars missions to Saudi Arabia’s space ambitions, get your 24/7 fix of cosmic events and innovations shaping our understanding of space.
Featuring Gen4 technology ICEYE has launched four new 25cm resolution satellites. This latest launch reinforces the company’s SAR satellite constellation, which remains the largest globally. Among the four satellites is ICEYE’s Generation 4 (Gen4) satellite, a cutting-edge advancement in SAR technology that promises to elevate the company’s imaging and disaster response
Focus on future of space and remote sensing A host of distinguished speakers from global space organisations have been confirmed for the Farnborough International Space Show and the 40th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE-40), which will take place from March 19 to 20, 2025. Industry leaders from Rolls-Royce, Thales Alenia, NOAA, Babcock […]
The heavy-lift rocket is essential to ESA Europe’s latest space exploration milestone was reached on March 6, 2025, when Ariane 6, Europe’s newest heavy-launch vehicle, launched for the second time. In its first commercial mission, the rocket lifted from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana at 13:24 local time (16:24 GMT / 17:24 CET), marking a […]
With 10 NASA instruments onboard Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 has achieved a significant milestone, successfully landing on the Moon on March 2, 2025. The American lander touched down near Mons Latreille, a volcanic feature within the Mare Crisium basin, in the northeast quadrant of the Moon’s near side. The lunar touchdown is significant […]
Involving 2 two landing architectures NASA has unveiled a new strategy for its Mars Sample Return Programme. The US space agency will pursue two landing architectures concurrently to increase the likelihood of successfully returning the first Martian rock and sediment samples to Earth. This will foster competition and innovation while reducing costs and ensuring timely
For OneWeb LEO constellation extension Airbus Defence and Space has been awarded a contract by Eutelsat to extend its OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. The agreement marks a new phase in developing OneWeb’s global satellite network, designed to provide high-speed internet access worldwide. Under the contract terms, Airbus will be responsible for
NASA and Finland have collaboration history Finland has become the 53rd nation to sign the NASA-led Artemis Accords, a landmark agreement for safe and responsible space exploration. The signing ceremony occurred at the Aalto University’s Winter Satellite Workshop 2025 in Espoo, Finland, marking a significant moment for international space collaboration. “Today, Finland is
6 individuals from diverse backgrounds Blue Origin, the US-based space exploration company, has revealed the six astronauts flying on the upcoming NS-30 mission aboard its New Shepard rocket. This mission marks a significant milestone for the company, being both the 10th human flight in the New Shepard programme and the 30th flight in the programme’s […]
Along with historic sites in 29 countries The World Monuments Fund (WMF) has unveiled its 2025 World Monuments Watch, an advocacy programme highlighting 25 culturally significant sites worldwide facing urgent challenges. These sites span 29 countries and five continents and are confronted with climate change, conflict, tourism pressures, and natural disasters. Notably, the
A boost for UAE’s space ambitions The Moon Village Association (MVA), an international non-governmental organisation dedicated to fostering collaboration in the development of the lunar economy, has signed an agreement to establish the Moon Village Centre in Abu Dhabi emirate in the UAE, solidifying the emirate as a new hub for space innovation. Abu Dhabi […]
Via Intuitive Machines lunar lander Nokia and Intuitive Machines, Inc. have integrated Nokia’s Lunar Surface Communication System (LSCS) into Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 lander, Athena. The collaboration marks a significant step in deploying the first-ever cellular network on the Moon as part of the upcoming IM-2 mission, which is set to launch later this year. The […]
For AI-powered SAR imagery analysis products ICEYE, a global leader in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite operations, and SATIM, a world leader in AI-based solutions for Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) on SAR imagery, have signed a partnership agreement to develop joint products. The collaboration will combine ICEYE’s advanced satellite imagery with SATIM’s
For NASA’s Lunar Gateway Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a contract with the Dubai-based Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre to design and develop the Emirates Crew and Science Airlock Module. This critical element will be docked to NASA’s Lunar Gateway cislunar space station and play a […]
For Spanish Armed Forces The first of two advanced Airbus satellites, SpainSat NG-I, has been successfully launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, USA. The state-of-the-art satellite, designed to enhance secure communications for the Spanish Armed Forces, will enter service in the latter half of 2025, following its initial testing and commissioning phases.
Led by Peggy Whitson NASA and its international partners have approved Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida no earlier than Spring 2025. The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew will travel to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. […]
For Mars exploration, rovers NASA has reached a significant milestone in its quest to explore the Red Planet. It has thoroughly tested a revolutionary new tyre technology designed for its Martian rovers. Developed by NASA’s Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland in collaboration with Goodyear Tire & Rubber, the groundbreaking shape memory alloy (SMA) spring tyres […]
In late February 2025 NASA and SpaceX are preparing for the launch of the agency’s next groundbreaking astrophysics observatory, SPHEREx, in late February 2025. The mission, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, will be carried into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space […]
With unique science and technology A suite of cutting-edge scientific investigations and technology demonstrations is en route to the Moon, where it will play a key role in NASA’s Artemis programme. The mission, carried by Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 15, 2025, from Kennedy Space Center […]
Aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reached a significant milestone in its space programme. On January 14, 2025, MBZ-SAT, an Earth-imaging satellite, successfully launched from NASA’s Vandenberg Air Force Base launchpad in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. MBZ-SAT, named in honour of HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed […]