The U.K. Defense Ministry plans to equip six Royal Navy mine-hunting ships with military X-band satellite communications gear over the next five years, with the first vessels to be outfitted by spring 2013. The ships will be the first to use SCOTPatrol 0.8-meter X-band satellite terminals developed by EADS-Astrium Services, a smaller version of the company’s legacy SCOT 5 terminals in service with 11 navies worldwide, including Britain.

Lockheed Martin's Mobile User Objective System launched Feb. 24

Britain has committed €20 million to help pay for Europe’s continued participation with the ISS

HOUSTON — NASA and Roscosmos have selected two veteran International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers for a yearlong assignment to the 14-year-old orbiting science laboratory that is intended to shed new light on human adaptation to long-duration spaceflight and other challenges facing explorers on future deep-space missions. Scott Kelly, a 48-year-old U.S. Navy captain, and Mikhail Kornienko, a 52-year-old RSC Energia test engineer, will begin a two-year training program for the mission early next year.

Houston – Researchers at Rice University have merged advances in nanotechnology and solar energy for the efficient generation of “solar steam,” a technology they suggest could find initial application in sanitation and water purification in developing countries.

Hopes to contribute roughly €15 million to ESA’s Program for Life and Physical Sciences

Naples, Italy – The European Space Agency (ESA) will spend €588 million ($752 million) over the next two years to continue work on an upgrade of the Ariane 5 rocket, conduct detailed design studies of a successor and identify as many synergies between the two launch vehicles as possible, including development of a common upper stage.

Lander would have incorporated technologies, hardware developed for Europe’s ATV