The amount of space junk around Earth has hit a critical point where it now poses risks to other spacecraft and satellites and has started to trigger human efforts to combat the security threat in outer space.
Space exploration and exploitation has traditionally been the domain of the Americans and Russians. But Europe is in the mix too, from building the machines that put satellites in orbit to harbouring dreams of mining asteroids. Here’s what the future holds.
Last spring marked 40 years since Czechoslovakian astronaut Vladimir Remek's flight to space and this year marks another anniversary. In November, the Czech Republic celebrated ten years since joining the European Space Agency (ESA). EURACTIV Czech Republic's media partner Aktuálně.cz reports.
There are few signs that the European Commission could change its 'business as usual' space strategy focusing on satellite services. Vidvuds Beldavs explains why the Commission should look to the Moon and raise its space ambitions.
2018 will be a crucial year to shape a stimulating new narrative for EU space policy. Jean-Loic Galle lists a couple of key points ahead of the 10th EU space policy conference taking place in Brussels on 23 and 24 January.
Europe’s leaders need to set forth the threats to Europe that could come from failure to exercise space leadership. Vidvuds Beldavs suggests what Emmanuel Macron or Jean-Claude Juncker could say to take Europe to the forefront of space exploration.
Brexit negotiations with the UK are forcing the European Commission to postpone funding for reusable rockets until after 2020, despite the importance of the technology for the future of European space policy.
The Jason-3 satellite has finally been put into Low Earth orbit, after several delays, and will now provide European scientists with essential data regarding the state of the planet’s oceans. EURACTIV Italy reports.
The European Space Agency landed a probe on a comet yesterday (12 November), a first in space exploration and the climax of a 10-year-odyssey, but an anchoring system problem may hamper planned investigations into the origins of Earth and the solar system.
Sea ice in the Arctic is disappearing at a far greater rate than previously expected, according to data from the first purpose-built satellite launched to study the thickness of the Earth's polar caps.
The trademarks of the Galileo satellite system are under sustained legal challenge from a US headquartered company and the Commission is considering renaming the project’s commercial arms as a result, EURACTIV has learned.