Every month we recap some of the top stories in space, entrepreneurship, innovation, business, and technology.
With many exciting advancements in the international space sector, here is our recap for September 2022.
The DART probe (Double Asteroid Rendezvous Test) successfully crashed into the Dimorphos asteroid (part of the larger Didymos asteroid), proving that with enough warning humans could alter the path of asteroids on a potential collision course with Earth. Read more here.
Concept rendering of the DART probe as it approaches Dimorphos. (Image Credit: NASA)
Due to Hurricane Ian, NASA has pushed the already delayed launch of the Artemis I SLS Megarocket to mid-November at the earliest. NASA had originally planned to attempt a launch on 27 September, but the severe weather made this impossible. Read more here.
The Artemis I SLS Megarocket moving back inside to shelter from Hurricane Ian (Image Credit: NASA)
On 28 September, the first European woman took over command of the International Space Station for the first time in history. Astronaut Samantha Christoforetti is the fifth European commander of the ISS, following Frank De Winne, Alexander Gerst, Luca Parmitano and Thomas Pesquet. Read more here.
Astronaut Samantha Christoforetti, the first female European commander of the ISS (Image Credit: ESA)
The World Satellite Business Week – an annual conference connecting global experts from the satellite and space industry – celebrated its 25th anniversary. Held at the iconic Westin Hotel in Paris from 12-16 September, this event has become the meeting place for decision makers, leading operators, manufacturers, and customers across the satellite value chain. Read more about the World Satellite Business Week here.
Panel discussion from the World Satellite Business Week 2022. (Image credit: Euroconsult)
China and the United Arab Emirates have announced a collaboration on future rover missions to the Moon. On 16 September, representatives from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and the China National Space Agency (CNSA) signed a memorandum of understanding for working together on new rover exploration missions to the lunar surface. Read more here.
Delegates from the MBRSC and the CNSA pose for a photograph after a joint signing. (Image credit: MBRSC)