March 2015
Small is the new big: why micro-satellites require new laws
...next level of abstraction. Almost nobody builds their own satellite standard anymore – it doesn’t make sense to re-invent the... more than 200 CubeSats from the International Space Station. The second standard, PocketQube, is a 5 cm cube with a mass of ...
June 2015
European lab in the sky: OP-SAT and new potential for ESA spacecraft
... the need to ensure hardened protection against solar and cosmic radiation. ESA’s CryoSat-2 satellite uses an Agency-standard ERC32 computer. Writing code that runs on this microprocessor today is equivalent to programming for a mass-market PC circa...
May 2020
Protecting areas of scientific importance on the Moon
...-bound systems should be the first step, followed by the design and deployment of astronomical devices built to specific standards. These design regulations could be a pathfinder for the more sophisticated systems that follow - just as they are...
July 2020
Pandemic in space – are we ready?
... after attending the launch of a Soyuz mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Even so, there is no global standard on how to respond to a viral contagion that may affect a wider population. The closest may be the Planetary Protection...
January 2021
Asgardia’s project for a new module to expand Space Station
... for various projects and customers at a reduced cost of manufacturing, coupled with the advantage of the ability to use standard commercially available launch vehicles. The project is very much in line with the goals of ESA’s space exploration...
May 2024
Spaceflight revolution on a shoestring
... suggests that the new launcher should be designed to airliner standards as far as is practicable, as these are the safest... in the Spacecab lower stage will be expensive by aviation standards, largely because of the short life of today’s rocket ...
