Home News Archive by category Space (Page 4)

Space

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.

Oman
Oman Space

Oman launches an AI-enhanced satellite

Arnold Pinto
Marking a new era in space exploration Oman has officially entered the space race by launching its first AI-powered satellite, OL-1. CAS Space, a Chinese spaceflight company, launched the satellite from the Gobi Desert on November 18, 2024. It is equipped with advanced remote sensing and Earth
Denmark
Space

Denmark becomes 48th signatory of the Artemis Accords

Arnold Pinto
Signing held in Copenhagen NASA has officially welcomed Denmark as the 48th nation to join the Artemis Accords, committing to safe and responsible space exploration to benefit humankind. The signing took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, on November 14, 2024, where Christina Egelund, Denmark’s Minister of Higher Education and Science, endorsed the Artemis Accords on behalf
Lunar
Space

Intuitive Machines unveils advanced Lunar Terrain Vehicle

Arnold Pinto
Moon RACER is part of NASA’s Artemis programme Intuitive Machines showcased its cutting-edge Moon RACER lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) at Space Center Houston on November 7, 2024, marking a significant advancement in lunar exploration technology. The Moon RACER, which stands for Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover, is engineered to transport two astronauts with
mPower
Space

Boeing delivers O3b mPower satellites to SES

Arnold Pinto
As high-speed internet access enablers Boeing has delivered the 7th and 8th O3b mPower satellites to SES, marking another significant milestone in expanding the O3b mPower constellation. These two new satellites, equipped with Boeing’s advanced software-defined communications payload, are scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral in December 2024. These satellites
Oxford
Health Space

Oxford University sends human tissue samples to space

Arnold Pinto
To study microgravity effect on human ageing The first human tissue samples from Oxford University’s Space Innovation Lab (SIL) have been launched to the International Space Station (ISS) to study the effects of space microgravity on human ageing. Researchers from the SIL recently travelled to NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida to prepare the samples […]
Terran
Space

Lockheed Martin completes acquisition of Terran Orbital

Arnold Pinto
Both entities have previous collaborations Lockheed Martin has acquired Terran Orbital, a prominent manufacturer of innovative modular spacecraft that serves the global aerospace and defence sectors, along with its subsidiary, Tyvak International. The acquisition, first announced on August 15, 2024, marks a significant step in Lockheed Martin’s strategy to strengthen
Academy
Space

Serco’s Space Academy goes global from Saudi Arabia

News Editor 2
To foster space talent worldwide Serco’s Space Academy has launched globally following its regional unveiling in Saudi Arabia last year. The academy originated from the Saudi Graduate Space Programme, launched in 2023. The programme aimed to foster a solid space sector in Saudi Arabia and was crucial in recruiting and developing the Arabian Gulf nation’s
Spacecom
Space

US Spacecom emphasises partnerships amid escalating threats

News Editor 2
Spotlight on China and Russia In a compelling address at the Air & Space Power Association’s Defence Space Conference in London, US Space Command (Spacecom) Commander Gen. Stephen N. Whiting underscored the critical importance of international partnerships in safeguarding space capabilities amid rising global threats, particularly from China and Russia. Whiting
Time
Space

Do you know what Coordinated Lunar Time is?

Arnold Pinto
NASA is working on the answer NASA has announced plans to develop a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) standard, a crucial step following a policy directive from the White House issued in April 2024. This initiative, spearheaded by NASA’s Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) programme, aims to create a timekeeping system for the Moon to support […]
Starliner
Space

Uncrewed Starliner spacecraft returns to Earth

Arnold Pinto
After three-month flight test NASA and Boeing successfully concluded a pivotal phase in their spacecraft development programme by safely landing the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft at 10:01pm MDT on September 6, 2024, at White Sands Space Harbour in New Mexico. This marks the end of a critical three-month flight test of the Boeing spacecraft to the […]
Suborbital
Space

Blue Origin completes 26th suborbital spaceflight mission

Arnold Pinto
Six astronauts return safely Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, completed its eighth human suborbital spaceflight on August 29, 2024, and the 26th flight for the New Shepard rocket programme. Travelling in a pressurised crew capsule, the astronaut crew included Nicolina Elrick, Rob Ferl, Eugene Grin, Dr Eiman Jahangir, Karsen Kitchen, and […]
Relm
Appointments Space

Relm Insurance recruits space economy expert

Company begins MENA operations Relm Insurance, a Hamilton, Bermuda-based speciality insurance provider for emerging and innovative industries, has appointed Dr Francesca Faedi as a senior advisor to enhance its capacity to meet the rising insurance demands of the space industry. Dr Faedi, the Director of Orbital Innovation and a Lecturer on the Space Economy at […]
Challenge
Space

NASA awards $1.25 million in deep space food challenge

Arnold Pinto
Pioneering food systems promoted NASA has awarded $1.25 million in prizes for groundbreaking food systems developed for deep space missions, culminating in the third and final round of the Deep Space Food Challenge. The challenge aimed to create innovative solutions for providing astronauts with sustainable, nutritious, and delicious food for extended space journeys, such
SAR
Space UAE

ICEYE successfully launches 4 new SAR satellites

Arnold Pinto
UAE’s Bayanat and Yahsat are ecstatic ICEYE, the world’s largest SAR satellite constellation operator, successfully launched four new synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites into orbit on August 16, 2024, aboard the Transporter-11 Rideshare mission with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The newly launched satellites, integrated via Exolaunch, are
JUICE
Space

JUICE space probe to fly past Moon and Earth

Arnold Pinto
Historic flybys on August 19-20, 2024 The European Space Agency’s (ESA) JUICE (JUpiter ICy Moons Explorer) space probe will undertake its first-ever double flyby of the Moon and Earth on August 19 and 20, 2024. This mission marks a world premiere as JUICE utilises the gravitational forces of these two celestial bodies to adjust its […]