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Europe to develop commercial space capsule

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The European Space Agency (ESA) is introducing a new competition to develop a robotic capsule for transporting cargo to and from the International Space Station, with the maiden voyage planned for 2028. This marks a significant departure from ESA’s conventional project management approach. The winning company will receive some financial support and technical assistance from ESA but must operate the capsule commercially. It will be responsible for partially funding the development and providing the re-supply service to ESA, which will act as the primary customer.

If successful, the company may be tasked with upgrading the capsule to transport ESA astronauts, and potentially, it could be adapted for missions to other destinations such as the Moon. A dedicated team within ESA has been allocated an initial budget of €75m to initiate the competition.

The concept was well received by ESA member states at a summit in Seville, Spain. This procurement model emulates the successful strategy employed by NASA, which transitioned to outsourcing space vehicle services to private companies, leading to the emergence of SpaceX. ESA hopes to replicate NASA’s access to faster, more innovative, and cost-effective space technologies.

Anna Christmann, a leading aerospace policy figure in the German government, emphasized the shift in ESA’s approach, stating that while public funding initiates such competitions, it attracts private investment. ESA member states have also committed to adopting this approach for long-term rocket procurement, as current European launchers are facing significant challenges.

The Seville summit also highlighted the role of satellites in aiding European nations’ net-zero goals, including using space data to optimize air travel routes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, ESA introduced the Zero Debris Charter to promote responsible practices in space operations. The UK is championing a new regulatory framework to incentivize responsible behavior and create a market for orbital debris removal services.

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Europe heatwave: Red alerts issued in 15 Italian cities

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Italy is currently experiencing extreme heat, leading to red alerts being issued for 15 cities, including Rome, Florence, and Bologna. This heatwave is part of a larger trend of increasing temperatures and longer heatwaves globally due to global warming.

The European Space Agency (ESA) predicts that Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and Poland may face extreme conditions, with potential record temperatures. Greece has already been experiencing temperatures of 40°C or higher, leading to the closure of tourist attractions like the Acropolis. There are concerns about the increased risk of wildfires in Greece and other areas with high winds.

Central parts of Europe, including Germany and Poland, are also affected by high temperatures. In contrast, the UK is experiencing heavy showers and cooler weather due to the southern shift of the jet stream. The current heatwave in Italy, named Cerberus, is expected to be followed by another heatwave called Charon, pushing temperatures above 40°C.

Heatwaves are also occurring in other parts of the world, including the US, China, North Africa, and Japan. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events due to global warming have become the new normal, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

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Europe heatwave: Hot weather sweeps across southern Europe

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A scorching heatwave continues to affect several European countries, with temperatures expected to break records in the coming days. Parts of Spain, France, Greece, Croatia, Turkey, and Italy may experience temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F), with Italy potentially reaching up to 48°C (118.4°F), which could be the highest ever recorded in Europe, according to the European Space Agency. A red alert warning has been issued for 10 cities, including Florence and Rome. Last month was reported as the hottest June on record by the EU’s climate monitoring service Copernicus.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that extreme weather events resulting from climate change are becoming the new norm. While periods of intense heat are part of natural weather patterns, they are increasingly becoming more frequent, intense, and prolonged globally due to global warming.

The heatwave has impacted tourists in Europe, with visitors experiencing symptoms such as nausea and dizziness in Athens. Efforts have been made to provide information on air-conditioned places for people to seek relief from the heat. Tragically, a man in Italy died from heat-related causes, and several visitors, including a British man in Rome, have suffered from heatstroke.

Authorities are advising people to stay hydrated by drinking at least two liters of water per day and to avoid dehydrating beverages like coffee and alcohol. Tourists in Rome expressed surprise at the extreme heat and stated they were trying to avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day. Some individuals emphasized the need for collective action to address climate change, urging governments and individuals to take responsibility and make changes such as reducing plastic usage, limiting air conditioning, and using electric cars.

The current heatwave, named Cerberus after the mythical three-headed dog from Dante’s Inferno, is expected to continue intensifying in the coming days. Spain has already experienced temperatures reaching 45°C (113°F), and the European Space Agency has predicted potential temperatures of 48°C (118.4°F) in Sicily and Sardinia, which could be the hottest ever recorded in Europe.

Additionally, other regions outside Europe, including parts of Canada, the United States, India, and China, have also witnessed record-breaking temperatures this summer. Sea temperatures in the Atlantic have reached record highs, while Antarctic sea ice is at its lowest extent on record. Furthermore, the development of El Niño, a weather pattern in the tropical Pacific, is expected to contribute to rising temperatures by an average of 0.2°C, exacerbating the effects of climate change, which has already increased average temperatures worldwide by approximately 1.1°C.

To put the current heatwave in historical context, scientists can analyze air bubbles trapped in ancient Antarctic ice, which suggests that the first week of July was the hottest week in around 125,000 years. During the Eemian period, which occurred over a million years ago, temperatures were estimated to be significantly higher, resulting in hippos inhabiting the Thames and sea levels being approximately 5 meters (16.4 feet) higher.

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ESA’s Juice Mission: Exploring Jupiter’s Moons to Unlock the Mysteries of Life Beyond Earth

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On Thursday, the European Space Agency (ESA) will launch a highly ambitious mission, sending a satellite to Jupiter’s major moons – Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede – which are believed to contain oceans of liquid water beneath their icy surfaces. The ESA hopes to determine if the conditions on these moons could potentially support life. The eight-year journey to Jupiter is one of the most challenging and complex missions ever attempted by the organization.

The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) mission aims to investigate whether the hidden oceans on Jupiter’s moons, which are believed to contain liquid water, could sustain simple microbial organisms. Although Juice is not equipped to detect life or send back images of any potential organisms, it could help scientists determine whether the moons have the necessary conditions to support life.

Professor Carole Mundell, the director of science at ESA, notes that microbial life exists in extreme environments on Earth, and there is no reason to believe it cannot exist elsewhere in similar conditions. The mission aims to study these conditions on Jupiter’s moons.

Juice will conduct 35 close passes of Jupiter’s moons, getting as close as 400km to their surfaces, before eventually entering orbit around Ganymede. The spacecraft is equipped with ten instruments, including cameras, particle detectors, a radar, and a lidar for making 3D maps of surface terrain.

However, the magnetometer provided by Imperial College London could provide the most significant data. This instrument will help scientists determine the properties of the moons’ hidden oceans, including their depth, salt content, and contact with the rocky mantle.

This information, along with observations from other instruments, could reveal if there is organic material on the moons’ surfaces and provide insight into their interior structures.

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