An investigation has revealed the cause of the Vega launch failure on flight VV15, which lost the Falcon Eye 1 satellite causing an insurance loss of circa US$416 million. The sudden “violent” anomaly occurred after what appeared to be a successful launch from the...
The post of UK Minister of State for Universities and Science, with its cabinet attendee rank, is an attractive position for up-and-coming politicians, not least because it is also in charge of the “sexy” subject of space – now seen as increasingly important to the...
In what resembled a space “game of chicken”, two satellites heading towards each other had to decide which would move first. After a warning from the US Space Command’s tracking system, the European Space Agency (ESA) was forced to move its Aeolus wind study...
The “first ever space crime” may have been committed by astronaut Anne McClean, who is accused of using the International Space Station’s (ISS) Wi-Fi to access illegally the bank account of her estranged female spouse Summer Worden. However, in this...
Every August Seradata does its usual analysis of the “runners and riders” in “The Great Space Race” between the major space nations. Here we judge each space programme on the basis of technological ability, financial and other resources, national will and, most...
The complicated multi-parachute landing system for the European Space Agency’s ExoMars landing mission in 2020 is under scrutiny after it failed a second test. The test on 5 August, of the large 35 m diameter subsonic main parachute was deemed a failure. It...
