Josef Aschbacher

The European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully conducted a full-scale rehearsal of its new Ariane 6 rocket at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, marking a significant step towards the launch vehicle’s first flight.Who’s This Thing Actually for? | PlayStation Portal Hands OnGround controllers performed the full-scale wet dress rehearsal on Thursday, November 23, according to an ESA press release. The exercise (carried out at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana) involved a complete launch countdown and a seven-minute…

In an effort to secure precious access to low Earth orbit, the European Space Agency (ESA) signed an agreement with Airbus and Voyager Space for the use of their commercial space station which is currently under development as a replacement for the International Space Station (ISS).Taking out the Trash (in Space)The agreement explores how the Starlab space station can be used to provide Europe with access to space for astronaut missions and research activities, as well as commercial business development, according to ESA.…

Russia has agreed to keep its cosmonauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) until 2028 despite earlier threats to withdraw from the orbiting lab.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewNASA announced that its Russian counterpart “has confirmed it will support continued station operations through 2028,” the space agency wrote in a blog post on Thursday. Russia was the last to sign on to extended operations on the ISS, with Japan, Canada, and the participating countries of…

An artist’s impression of the ClearSpace-1 spacecraft approaching Vega Secondary Payload Adapter from ESA’s Vega launcher.Image: Clear SpaceClearSpace, a Swiss space company, has secured clearance from the European Space Agency after the company’s first program review of its efforts to clear junk from Earth orbit by using a giant, four-armed robotic satellite to capture debris.What goes up must come down—especially in the case of debris and defunct satellites left orbiting Earth—and ClearSpace is on a continued path…

ADEO being deployed from the ION Satellite Carrier during the December 2022 test.Gif: High Performance Space Structure Systems/GizmodoThere’s a lot of junk orbiting our planet, from tiny flecks of paint to defunct rocket stages. While solutions to remove pre-existing debris have been developed, a private space company in Germany has successfully tested a method to deorbit satellites at the end of their life to prevent them from becoming space debris in the first place.The Drag Augmentation Deorbiting System (ADEO)…

The Vega-C rocket lifting off from its launch pad at the Kourou space base, French Guiana, December 21, 2022.Photo: JM Guillon (AP)Earlier this week, Arianespace’s Vega-C rocket suffered a fatal anomaly that resulted in the loss of two satellites. The rocket, which debuted a few months ago, was meant to fill a major gap for the European space industry, but is now grounded pending an investigation.Arianespace and the European Space Agency (ESA) have appointed an independent inquiry commission to analyze the reason for the…

NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan snapping a photograph while conducting a spacewalk outside the International Space Station in November 2019.Photo: NASAThe European Space Agency (ESA) has selected a new class of astronauts that includes the first “parastronaut,” in what is the agency’s attempt to make spaceflight more accessible.British paralympic athlete John McFall, 41, was selected among a group of 17 astronaut candidates, marking ESA’s first new batch of recruits in 13 years, the space agency announced on Wednesday. The…

Artistic conception of the ExoMars rover on Mars.Image: ESAThe ExoMars rover may get a second chance to go to Mars. The European Space Agency (ESA) wants to swap out a Russian-built entry and descent platformfor a version made in Europe, but the space agency will need to secure a hefty budget to move forward. Following a council meeting on Thursday, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher reassured reporters that the science goals of the ExoMars mission will still be relevant in six years when the space agency plans on…

A fully stacked Ariane 6 at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Photo: ESA/Manuel PedoussautThe European Space Agency is now targeting late 2023 for the inaugural launch of its next-generation Ariane 6 rocket, in what is yet another delay for the debut of this heavy-lift launch vehicle. During a press briefing on Wednesday, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher announced that Ariane 6's inaugural flight is now scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023, while cautioning that the date range is still not final. The fully…

An illustration of ESA’s Euclid spacecraft.Illustration: ESAThe European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope could launch on board a Falcon 9 rocket in 2023, a consequence of the space agency halting its cooperation with Russia and canceling its flights aboard Soyuz rockets. The Euclid infrared space telescope was supposed to launch this year from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed against its government has prompted ESA to sever its ties…