Reprogrammable satellite launched

ESA / A sophisticated telecommunications satellite that can be completely repurposed while in space has launched. Developed under an ESA Partnership Project with satellite operator Eutelsat and prime manufacturer Airbus, Eutelsat Quantum has pioneered a new generation of satellites with the European space industry. The flexible software-defined satellite – which will be used by governments Read More

Update to NASA’s Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 Mission

NASA and Boeing have decided to stand down from Friday’s launch attempt of the agency’s Orbital Flight Test-2 mission. Currently, launch teams are assessing the next available opportunity. The move allows the International Space Station team time to continue working checkouts of the newly arrived Roscosmos’ Nauka module and to ensure the station will be Read More

ENAIRE joins “Target Gender Equality”, the United Nations Global Compact Programme that promotes gender equality

ENAIRE is joining the 2nd edition of the Women's Empowerment Programme, Target Gender Equality, of the United Nations Global Compact. This is an initiative with a global impact whose main objective is to integrate gender equality across all areas of the company and expand it to the value chain, including stakeholders. This gender equality accelerator Read More

Rocket tanks of carbon fibre reinforced plastic proven possible

ESA Future rockets could fly with tanks made of lightweight carbon fibre reinforced plastic thanks to ground-breaking research carried out within ESA’s Future Launchers Preparatory Programme. Building on earlier studies, MT Aerospace in Germany has demonstrated a novel design of a small scale tank made of a unique carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) that is Read More

XMM-Newton sees light echo from behind a black hole

For the first time, astronomers have seen light coming from behind a black hole. Using ESA’s XMM-Newton and NASA’s NuSTAR space telescopes, an international team of scientists led by Dan Wilkins of Stanford University in the USA observed extremely bright flares of X-ray light coming from around a black hole. The X-ray flares echoed off Read More

LEDSAT at Europe’s spaceport for integration onto a Vega rocket

ESA / Members of the student team LEDSAT have travelled with their satellite and its deployer to Europe’s spaceport, the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana. This equipment will now be integrated onto a Vega rocket ready for launch later this summer! The students were accompanied by a member of ESA’s Fly Your Satellite! team. Read More