News

The General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) is hosting an in-person workshop dedicated to upcoming Quantum Technologies for Space Applications activities, with a particular focus on Cold Atom Interferometers (CAI) and their applications in future space missions. 

Designed for European industry, SMEs, research institutes and academia, the workshop will provide a detailed overview of future mission needs, planned GSTP developments and opportunities for organisations to collaborate and form consortia for upcoming activities. 

Participants will gain insight into how quantum technologies could support future Earth Observation, Human and Robotic Exploration, Science missions, resilient navigation and advanced space sensing applications. 

The ESA Independent Safety Office (TEC-QI) is honoured to announce the publication of the first ESA Planetary Protection Handbook (PP HB), ESSB-HB-U-006, Iss. 1.

The General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) is hosting a webinar dedicated to the upcoming GSTP Quantum technology activities – Cold Atom Interferometers (CAI) for Quantum Inertial Sensing, Resilient Navigation, and Future Space Applications.

The webinar will provide an overview of the opportunities available to European industry, SMEs, research institutes, and academia, as well as present the objectives, scope, and expected outcomes of the planned technology developments. 

Cold atom interferometers are emerging as a key enabling technology for next-generation quantum inertial sensing systems, offering the potential for highly accurate navigation, positioning in environments where GNSS signals are unavailable, degraded, or denied, for Earth observation capabilities for geodesy, thermosphere or Earth Energy Imbalance monitoring as well as Fundamental Physics tests or Space Exploration. Through this set of activities, ESA aims to advance the critical building blocks required to mature CAI technologies towards future space and terrestrial applications. 

Young professionals working for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the space sector are invited to apply to attend a Product Assurance Awareness Training Course offered by ESA Academy. The five-day training course will take place on 2–6 December 2024 at ESA’s Training and Learning Facility in ESEC-Galaxia, Transinne, Belgium. 

The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) recently updated its Planetary Protection policy, which was published in the Space Research Today journal. This revised edition incorporates structural and editorial improvements that expand upon the text from 2021, without altering the content of the respective substantive guidelines beyond what has been originally agreed by the Panel and validated by the Bureau, but with enhanced consistency and clarity.