Weekly News Highlights

A weekly digest of Sustainable Space news highlights:

Space Forge and Voyager sign MoU for in-space manufacturing
Electronics Weekly reports Space Forge has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Voyager Space to support in-space research and manufacturing. Under the MoU, the companies will explore integrating Space Forge’s ForgeStar returnable satellite platform with Voyager’s existing orbital capabilities, and will also work together on funding applications for commercial customers.

Space Situational Awareness AI shortlisted for award
Slingshot Aerospace has been shortlisted for the Space News Icon 2024 award in Space Safety and Security for innovative contributions to space situational awareness, including its "Agatha AI" system. Agatha uses advanced AI to monitor behaviors across thousands of satellites, and detect potential threats and flag suspicious activities with precision.

Iodine satellite propulsion under investigation
ONERA, ThrustMe, and Airbus Defence and Space are exploring iodine-based propulsion for satellites, reports Spacewatch Global.  The collaborators have commenced their joint Iodine Propulsion Interaction with Satellites and Components (IPISC) project, supported by ESA and CNES. The project aims to evaluate iodine’s potential as a new propellant for satellites weighing over 500 kg,  as a replacement for current electric propulsion propellants, such as xenon and krypton, which are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive.  The project will ensure that iodine can meet the demands of larger, more complex, and longer-duration missions.

World’s first wooden satellite launched to space
The very first wooden satellite built by Japanese scientists was launched into space on Tuesday in an early trial to test the use of timber in future Moon and Mars missions. The 10cm-cube satellite, called LignoSat, is made by Kyoto University in collaboration with the logging company Sumitomo Forestry, and will be released into an orbit about 400km (250 miles) above the Earth. The story has been covered by Reuters and The Independent.

Lunar Builders: Robotic Arm Challenge 
The Satellite Applications Catapult, in collaboration with ESA, are launching a challenge for university students to programme a 2-armed robot to assemble structures using lunar regolith blocks.  The competition is split into 2 phases, an initial simulation phase followed by a hackathon.  The competition kicks off on November 18th.

Turning Robots into Thrusters 
In a recent blog post, the Satellite Applications Catapult talk about the most recent upgrades to their ISAM facility at Westcott, which are being funded by the UK Space Agency.   
See also: Collision Without Failure: Simulating What Happens When Spacecraft “Bump” & The Future of ISAM in the UK: Upgrading and Innovating in Westcott.