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Daily Tribune
7 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain Space Agency CEO Joins Global Talks on Orbital Traffic and Space Sustainability
Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Aseeri, Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain Space Agency, took part in a U.S.-hosted seminar on 'Orbital Traffic Management,' organized by SpaceNews. Speaking about his participation, Dr. Al Aseeri emphasized the importance of global collaboration to ensure the sustainable use of space. 'Managing orbital traffic is essential to protect space infrastructure and support safe and sustainable space exploration,' he said. 'We are proud to share Bahrain's vision and contributions in this vital global dialogue.' The seminar explored key issues related to space sustainability and orbital traffic management—two fields that work hand-in-hand to protect the long-term usability of space. While space sustainability focuses on reducing space debris and encouraging responsible satellite operations, orbital traffic management involves tracking and coordinating spacecraft to prevent collisions and maximize the efficient use of Earth's orbits. Dr. Al Aseeri noted that discussions also touched on policies, governance, technological innovation, industry practices, and public awareness efforts that encourage responsible space operations. He highlighted that Bahrain's participation aligns with the kingdom's efforts to strengthen its position in the space and satellite technology sectors while supporting international initiatives to promote safe and responsible space activities. The seminar drew wide interest from global space experts and decision-makers. Among the speakers were Bruce McClintock of the RAND Corporation, Caroline Bell from Aurica Space Strategy, Richard DalBello of RDP Space, and Dan Altrogge of Comspoc. The session was moderated by veteran journalist and researcher David Ariosto, author of Open Space.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
China testing orbital refueling procedures for satellite missions
June 10 (UPI) -- China is positioning a satellite to test its ability to refuel another in orbit over Earth and extend its mission for several more years. China's Shijian-25 satellite is designed to refuel and service other satellites while they stay in geostationary orbit over Earth, SpaceNews reported. A geostationary orbit is one in which a satellite or another spacecraft maintains its location over a particular point on Earth by orbiting at a speed that matches the planet's rotation. The satellites were positioned more than 900 miles from each other in low-Earth orbit on Monday. The Shijian-25 was launched in January to test its ability to refuel other satellites and spacecraft, such as the Shijian-21 satellite. Shijian-21 was launched in October 2021 and has already completed its mission to dock with the Beidou-2 G2 navigation satellite and tow the defunct satellite to a so-called "graveyard orbit." Such an orbit positions defunct satellites well above geostationary orbit, so it won't interfere with active satellites. Two U.S. satellites are monitoring the two Chinese satellites, which completed several maneuvers over the past weekend to close the gap between them. The Chinese satellites are expected to dock on Wednesday and start a refueling procedure the test the viability of refueling satellites and other spacecraft while they are in geostationary orbit. If the test is successful, it means satellites could extend their missions for much longer than they initially were designed. The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology designed the two satellites, and the Shijian-21 appeared to run out of fuel until its recent maneuvers to close the distance between it and the Shijian-25. If the two satellites successfully dock with one another, the Shijian-25 is expected to transfer 313 pounds of hydrazine to extend Shijian-21's service life by another eight years. The test is similar to one planned by U.S.-based Northrop Grumman, which intends to launch its Mission Robotic Vehicle next year to conduct similar servicing of U.S. satellites and spacecraft.
UPI
11-06-2025
- Science
- UPI
China testing orbital refueling procedures for satellite missions
China launched its Shijian-25 satellite in January and has scheduled a Wednesday rendezvous with another satellite to test an in-orbit refueling procedure. File Photo by Wang Jiangbo/EPA-EFE June 10 (UPI) -- China is positioning a satellite to test its ability to refuel another in orbit over Earth and extend its mission for several more years. China's Shijian-25 satellite is designed to refuel and service other satellites while they stay in geostationary orbit over Earth, SpaceNews reported. A geostationary orbit is one in which a satellite or another spacecraft maintains its location over a particular point on Earth by orbiting at a speed that matches the planet's rotation. The satellites were positioned more than 900 miles from each other in low-Earth orbit on Monday. The Shijian-25 was launched in January to test its ability to refuel other satellites and spacecraft, such as the Shijian-21 satellite. Shijian-21 was launched in October 2021 and has already completed its mission to dock with the Beidou-2 G2 navigation satellite and tow the defunct satellite to a so-called "graveyard orbit." Such an orbit positions defunct satellites well above geostationary orbit, so it won't interfere with active satellites. Two U.S. satellites are monitoring the two Chinese satellites, which completed several maneuvers over the past weekend to close the gap between them. The Chinese satellites are expected to dock on Wednesday and start a refueling procedure the test the viability of refueling satellites and other spacecraft while they are in geostationary orbit. If the test is successful, it means satellites could extend their missions for much longer than they initially were designed. The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology designed the two satellites, and the Shijian-21 appeared to run out of fuel until its recent maneuvers to close the distance between it and the Shijian-25. If the two satellites successfully dock with one another, the Shijian-25 is expected to transfer 313 pounds of hydrazine to extend Shijian-21's service life by another eight years. The test is similar to one planned by U.S.-based Northrop Grumman, which intends to launch its Mission Robotic Vehicle next year to conduct similar servicing of U.S. satellites and spacecraft.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's Budget for NASA Is Absolutely Horrifying
Earlier this year, the Trump administration revealed its proposed budget for NASA's fiscal year 2026, indicating brutal cuts of unprecedented proportions are coming. Now, the agency has released new data about the proposal, painting a dire picture of its future. As SpaceNews reports, the documents reveal that thousands of jobs would be cut, and dozens of science missions would be on the chopping block. The cuts — which would drag the budget to its lowest point since 1961, SpaceNews points out, when adjusted for inflation — would result in the firing of roughly one-third of all civil servants. The budget would also slash the space agency's science budget in almost half, "nothing short of an extinction-level event for space science and exploration in the United States," as Planetary Society chief of space policy Casey Dreier told Ars Technica in March. The extent of the proposed cuts is truly baffling, with the Trump administration basically looking to give up on space science altogether in favor of militarizing the Earth's orbit and sending humans to Mars. The so-called "skinny" budget would result in the cancellation of several key space exploration missions, including NASA's Mars Sample Return mission. Other Earth observation programs would also be ripped up, including missions to monitor the planet's gravity field or study tropical cyclones, per SpaceNews. The budget would also cancel planned missions to explore the surface of Mars, as well as existing operations such as OSIRIS-APEX, which is headed to an asteroid called Apophis. While NASA's next major landmark space observatory, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, wouldn't be entirely canceled, it would be allocated less than half of its previously outlined budget. Meanwhile, the space agency would be doubling down on establishing commercially funded ways to get to the Moon and Mars, highlighting the Trump administration's sometimes-cozy relationship with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, whose space company is bound to reap the benefits. The budget would clear up north of $1 billion for projects connected to sending humans to the Red Planet, indicating the president is willing to closely follow Musk's lead. The proposed 2026 fiscal year budget is now headed to Congress, where it's likely to meet ample opposition. "No one is eager to cut NASA science," Dreier told SpaceNews. "No one is out there openly defending and saying that this is a great idea." In short, if it were to make it through Congress unaltered — which is unlikely, since the agency is supported by many lawmakers — Trump's NASA budget could deal the country's leadership in space an existential blow, allowing adversaries, most notably China, to race ahead. "It sends a signal that America is stepping back from leadership in virtually every science area, including NASA," former NASA associate administrator for science John Grunsfeld told PBS. "The proposal for the NASA science budget is, in fact, cataclysmic for US leadership in science." "What we see is a full-scale assault on science in America," representative George Whitesides (D-CA) added. "It is probably the biggest attack on our scientific establishment in history." "It's a poorly wielded chainsaw," he added. More on NASA's budget: NASA Disgusted by Elon Musk's Disrespect
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First Post
29-05-2025
- Science
- First Post
China launches mission to retrieve asteroid samples
China has launched its Tianwen-2 spacecraft to collect samples from the asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa and to return them by 2027. read more China has launched the Tianwen-2 spacecraft on a mission to collect samples from the asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, with plans to return them to Earth by 2027. (Photo: Space News) China on Wednesday embarked on its first mission to retrieve samples from a nearby asteroid with the nighttime launch of its Tianwen-2 spacecraft, a robotic probe that could make the fast-growing space power the third nation to fetch pristine asteroid rocks. China's Long March 3B rocket lifted off around 1:31 a.m. local time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center carrying the Tianwen-2 spacecraft, which over the next year will approach the small near-Earth asteroid named 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, some 10 million miles away. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Chinese state media Xinhua confirmed the launch of Tianwen-2 and dubbed it a 'complete success.' Tianwen-2 is scheduled to arrive at the asteroid in July 2026 and shoot a capsule packed with rocks back to Earth for a landing in November 2027. The mission is the latest example of China's swiftly expanding space programs, a streak of cosmic achievements in recent years that includes landing robots on the far side of the moon, running its own national space station in orbit and investing heavily in plans to send humans to the lunar surface by 2030. Japan's Hayabusa that fetched samples from a small asteroid in 2010 marked the world's first such mission. Japan did it again in 2019 with its Ryugu mission, followed by the first U.S. asteroid retrieval mission, OSIRIS-REx, that brought back samples from the Bennu asteroid in 2020. Kamoʻoalewa, the target asteroid for Tianwen-2, is known as a quasi-satellite of Earth, a close celestial neighbor that has orbited the sun for roughly a century, according to NASA. Its size is anywhere between 120 feet (40 meters) and 300 feet (100 meters). (Except headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff) STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
