Danish astronaut flying on SpaceX shuttle warns Europe not to fall behind in space
CopenhagenReuters Europe is at risk of falling behind in the global space race and missing out on key technologies, Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen said ahead of his second trip into space onboard Elon Musk’s next SpaceX mission in August. Mogensen, who will be the first non-American pilot to steer the SpaceX Crew Dragon shuttle to […]
Essay: Five space exploration missions to look out for in 2023
GARETH DORRIAN, of the University of Birmingham, and IAN WHITTAKER, of Nottingham Trent University, look – in an article first published on The Converation – at what 2023 promises for space exploration…
Europe names world’s first disabled astronaut
Paris, FranceReuters The European Space Agency on Wednesday named the first ever “parastronaut” in a major step towards allowing people with physical disabilities to work and live in space. The 22-nation agency said it had selected former British Paralympic sprinter John McFall as part of a new generation of 17 recruits picked for astronaut training. […]
Essay: Space Blocs – the future of international cooperation in space is splitting along lines of power on Earth
SVETLA BEN-ITZHAK, of Air University in the US, looks at how cooperation between nations in space is changing, spurred on by the conflict in Ukraine…
Essay: BepiColombo’s first close-up pictures of Mercury’s surface hint at answers to the planet’s secrets
DAVID ROTHERY, professor of planetary geosciences at The Open University, looks – in an article first published on The Conversation – at the BepiColombo mission to Mercury and what its closest images yet have revealed…
“Space is for everyone”: Europe’s Space Agency to hire first disabled astronaut
Berlin, GermanyReuters The European Space Agency hopes to hire and launch the world’s first physically disabled astronaut and several hundred would-be para-astronauts have already applied for the role, ESA head Josef Aschbacher told Reuters. The 22-member space program has just closed its latest decennial recruitment call for astronauts and received 22,000 applicants, Aschbacher said. “We […]
Giant leap for womankind? Europe’s space agency wants more female astronauts
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Space – the next frontier for gender equality? Europe’s space agency launched a mission this week to take on more women astronauts as it kicked off its first recruitment campaign for more than a decade. Nearly 60 years since the first human blasted off into space, women account for just 11 per […]
Europe space chief says exploration can propel interest in climate change
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation World leaders should use space exploration as a tool to teach the public about climate change and spur action to curb global warming, Europe’s top space official said on Thursday. From the heating caused by greenhouse gases to the need to reuse resources, space missions can show people what might happen […]
Essay: Artemis Accords – why many countries are refusing to sign Moon exploration agreement
In an article first published on The Conversation, CHRISTOPHER NEWMAN, professor of space law and policy at Northumbria University, Newcastle, examines the issues around the Artemis Accords…
UN, European bodies outline joint push against space junk
Vienna, AustriaReuters European and UN bodies on Thursday outlined a joint push for global action on space junk, saying that debris orbiting the earth must be cleaned up as satellites launched by private companies and other new entrants are adding to the crowding. So-called space debris has been an issue since the Cold War-era space […]