Military/Aerospace Electronics

Ubotica, the Irish space AI specialist, has been selected by the European Commission to participate in its ARCHYTAS project, a three-year initiative to develop AI accelerators for defence applications. It means the Dublin-based company has been awarded an undisclosed grant that will be funded by the European Defence Fund (EDF). “We are delighted to receive our first grant from the ...

The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected Airbus to design and build its space weather forecasting satellite Vigil. The aim of the Vigil mission is to provide more accurate warning of impending solar storms, both to help protect satellites in space and also electronics on Earth. Specifically, the spacecraft will give extra warning about incoming solar storms and coronal mass ...

The UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) has announced it has been developing a Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW), which it describes as a cutting-edge drone killer radio wave weapon. The UK designed and built system – which can neutralise a swarm of drones – is designed to provide battlefield protection for the UK Armed Forces. It can ...

The European Space Agency has chosen Redwire to develop the robotic arm prototype for the Argonaut lunar lander to support its exploration of the Moon. The goal for the lander is to establish the capability, for Europe, to land 1,500-1,800 kg of cargo, infrastructure, and scientific instruments on the lunar surface. Argonaut The robotic system is known as MANUS – ...

Anduril, the US- and London-based defence contractor, has taken up a tenancy in one of the Satellite Applications Catapult’s drone hangars at its Drone Test and Development Centre (DTDC) in Westcott. The company had been searching for a site to safely test and develop its autonomous drone capabilities, the Catapult related. “Due to the talent we want to attract, a ...

The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA say they are consolidating their cooperation on the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission, reshaping what originally was a European-Russian joint mission. Both agencies have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to include important US contributions, such as the launch service, elements of the propulsion system needed for landing on Mars, and heater units ...

SatVu, the UK Earth Observation company, has announced signing contracts for its second satellite, HotSat-2. The London-based thermal infrared satellite firm – which aims to become the ‘The World’s Thermometer’ – says the launch of HotSat-2 will be followed by HotSat-3 in 2025. It aims to build a nine satellite constellation in total. The mid Wave Infra-Red (MWIR) thermal imaging ...

Xona Space Systems, a startup geolocation service provider, has raised $19 million in Series A funding to develop the satellite network for its PULSAR navigation system. The company said the funding round – led by Future Ventures and Seraphim Space – was oversubscribed and new investors NGP Capital, Industrious Ventures, Murata Electronics, Space Capital, and Aloniq took part. Xona says ...

Phlux Technology, a manufacturer of avalanche photodiode (APD) infrared sensors, Airbus Defence and Space, and The University of Sheffield have embarked on a €500,000 Euro project to build more efficient free space optical communications (FSOC) satellite terminals. Funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), the project’s medium-term goal is to achieve reliable 2.5 Gbps communications with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) ...

The UK Space Agency has announced £9 million of funding for satellite instruments to help monitor the climate. Delivered by the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI), the money will support 12 projects that will measure emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen dioxide. The idea is for the instruments under development to give a clearer picture of activities ...