space

13 Jan 25

Space-based wildlife tracker ICARUS gets new wings after split with Russia

Computer & Information Technology

In 2018, after decades of research and tens of millions in funding, Russian astronauts attached a wildlife-tracking receiver to the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS). The device received data from tagged animals across the planet and beamed it to a ground station in Moscow. From there, it went…

11 Dec 24

Propelling satellites with electricity and salt? No problem for this Parisian startup

Computer & Information Technology

In 2018, Elon Musk put a Tesla in space. Like many of the billionaire’s antics, it was a publicity stunt. However, it pointed to an undeniable truth: the future of space travel is electric. Most spacecraft today — like cars and trucks back on Earth — burn chemicals to get…

06 Dec 24

Radioactive ‘diamond battery’ could power spacecraft for thousands of years

Computer & Information Technology

Scientists in the UK have successfully created the world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery, which could power low-energy devices like satellite communication equipment for over 5,000 years. The battery is made of the radioactive isotope carbon-14, encased in a thin layer of synthetic diamond. As the carbon-14 decays it emits electrons.…

06 Dec 24

Aachen spinout FibreCoat secures €20mn to bring super-fibres to spacecraft

Computer & Information Technology

German startup FibreCoat has bagged €20mn in Series B funding as it looks to bring its super-resistant materials to the burgeoning space industry. FibreCoat spunout from RWTH Aachen University in 2020. The startup has developed a patented process for coating fibres with metals and plastics during the spinning stage. This…

04 Dec 24

Spanish startup edges closer to Europe’s first private orbital rocket launch

Computer & Information Technology

PLD Space has secured an €11mn loan to help fund the development of a liftoff site for its partially reusable Miura 5 rocket, which is set to become Europe’s first privately developed satellite launcher — unless one of its competitors gets there first. The loan will help the Spanish startup…

02 Dec 24

Fuelled by €24M, UK startup gears up to put more thermal satellites in orbit

Computer & Information Technology

British startup SatVu has secured £20mn (€24mn) to fuel the development of its hyper-accurate thermal imaging satellites that act like a thermometer for the whole planet. The cash injection includes £10mn (€12mn) in equity from Spanish VC Adara Ventures and British tech-focused fund Molten Ventures. The remainder comes from an…

November 7, 2024
Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation

This article is part of our exclusive IEEE Journal Watch series in partnership with IEEE Xplore.As part of the ongoing search for more sustainable energy solutions, some researchers are thinking outside the box—or globe, really. One team in California is proposing a new transmitter array system that could help harvest…

November 4, 2024
Aerospace & Aeronautical

This is a sponsored article brought to you by BESydney. In July 2024, Sydney woman Katherine Bennell-Pegg made history as the first astronaut to graduate under the Australian flag and the first female astronaut in Australia. Her journey, marked by determination and discipline, showcases Australia’s growing prominence in space exploration…

14 Oct 24

Italy’s D-Orbit lands €119M ESA contract to service satellites in space

Computer & Information Technology

The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a €119mn contract with Italian scaleup D-Orbit for its first in-orbit servicing mission, RISE. Scheduled for launch in 2028, RISE will attempt to rendezvous with, maneuver, and detach from an ESA satellite in geostationary orbit. Then it will embark on an 8-year mission,…

06 Sep 24

First metal part 3D-printed in space paves way for deeper cosmic missions

Computer & Information Technology

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have used ESA’s metal 3D printer to forge the first-ever metal part made entirely in space. The achievement was part of a collaboration between ESA and Airbus that looks to develop Europe’s capabilities in space manufacturing. It could mark a step toward greater…

Space-based wildlife tracker ICARUS gets new wings after split with Russia

Propelling satellites with electricity and salt? No problem for this Parisian startup

Radioactive ‘diamond battery’ could power spacecraft for thousands of years

Aachen spinout FibreCoat secures €20mn to bring super-fibres to spacecraft

Spanish startup edges closer to Europe’s first private orbital rocket launch

Fuelled by €24M, UK startup gears up to put more thermal satellites in orbit

One Way That Could Improve Space-Based Power: Relays

Katherine Bennell-Pegg: Australia’s First Astronaut Makes History

Italy’s D-Orbit lands €119M ESA contract to service satellites in space

First metal part 3D-printed in space paves way for deeper cosmic missions

Google won two major awards at MWC Barcelona 2025.

Expanding AI Overviews and introducing AI Mode

This MRI Can Run on Batteries

The Tiny Star Explosions Powering Moore’s Law