UK Space Agency promises £6.7 million funding into Scottish space companies

  Two companies have secured over £6.7 million in funding to develop rocket launch technologies sustainably and help establish the UK’s position as Europe’s leading destination for commercial spaceflight activities.  The funding was awarded using UK Space Agency contributions to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Boost! Programme which aims to help companies develop world-leading space…

Nissan unveils lunar rover prototype

Nissan unveils lunar rover prototype jointly developed with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Nissan has unveiled a lunar rover prototype jointly developed with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) at its Nissan Futures event. The JAXA Space Exploration Innovation Hub Center is conducting research on lunar rovers which must be able to…

Virgin Galactic confirms VSS Unity test flights

Virgin Galactic has confirmed that the next rocket-powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo Unity will be conducted on May 22, pending weather and technical checks. This follows the completion of a maintenance review of VMS Eve, the mothership jet aircraft which is designed to carry SpaceShipTwo to an altitude of approximately 50,000 feet. “Following a detailed…

Tech Digest daily round up: Nintendo announces Pikmin mobile game

  Nintendo has announced a new Pikmin mobile game from the developers of Pokémon Go. Created by Niantic, the Nintendo game will make use of similar AR features to bring the adorable, brightly-coloured Pikmin critters into the real world. Slated to launch later this year, the fun app will “include gameplay activities to encourage walking and make walking more delightful,”…