Tag: Avio
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ESA and European Commission Expand Flight Ticket Initiative for European Launchers
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission (EC) have launched a new call for proposals under the European Flight Ticket Initiative, expanding opportunities for European launch providers to compete for institutional launch contracts. The two-part call invites European launcher developers to apply for framework contracts while also opening competition for the fifth batch…
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Launch Preview: Falcon 9, Electron, and Vega C launch missions alongside Starship Flight 12
Six launches are scheduled worldwide during the next week, with the 12th flight of SpaceX’s Starship serving as the headline. Outside of Starship, SpaceX is scheduled to launch three Starlink missions on Falcon 9 from the company’s launch facilities in California and Florida. Internationally, Avio launched the joint European and Chinese SMILE mission atop a…
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Avio Secures $65M U.S. Contract for Solid Rocket Motor Development
Avio announced on 6 March that it has secured a $65 million contract from Defense Systems and Solutions for the development, qualification and initial production of solid rocket motors for air defence applications. Defense Systems and Solutions is a joint venture between Yulista Integrated Solutions and Science and Engineering Services. The contract covers a three-year…
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Brazil Selects Vega C for Amazonia-1B Launch Under SpaceLaunch Contract
Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, INPE, has awarded a launch services contract to SpaceLaunch for the deployment of its Amazonia-1B Earth observation satellite aboard a Vega C rocket in 2027, the institute said. The announcement confirms that INPE was the “extra-European institutional customer” referenced in a September 2025 statement by Italian rocket builder Avio,…
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Taiwan Space Agency Awards Avio Launch Contract for FORMOSAT Earth Observation Satellites
Taiwan’s space agency has selected Italian launch provider Avio to deploy four Earth observation satellites under its FORMOSAT programme, strengthening international cooperation in satellite launch services and marking a key step in Taiwan’s expanding space ambitions. The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) confirmed that Avio will be responsible for launching the FORMOSAT-8C and 8D satellites, as…
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Avio Secures Raytheon and Lockheed Martin as Key Customers for New U.S. Rocket Motor Plant
Italian rocket manufacturer Avio said on Monday that Raytheon and Lockheed Martin will be major customers for its planned solid rocket motor (SRM) plant in the United States. Under separate agreements, both defense contractors will have preferred access to a share of the plant’s production, Avio said. The company has not yet disclosed the plant’s…
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Vega-C return to flight launch slips a day to allow for ‘further precautionary checks’
Copernicus Sentinel-1C standing proud on its payload adapter between the two fairing halves that will protect the spacecraft on the launch pad and on its ascent towards space. Sentinel-1C, the third satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, is set to launch in December 2024 on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Image:…
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The Vega rocket never found its commercial niche. After tonight, it’s gone.
The final flight of Europe’s Vega rocket lifted off Wednesday night from French Guiana, carrying an important environmental monitoring satellite for the European Union’s flagship Copernicus program. The 98-foot-tall (30-meter) Vega rocket took off at 9:50 pm EDT Wednesday (01:50 UTC Thursday) from the European-run spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The launcher headed north from…
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Rocket Report: China launches 3-man crew; SpaceX adds to busy manifest
Welcome to Edition 6.17 of the Rocket Report! Two Asian powers notched achievements in their human spaceflight programs this week. In China, three astronauts launched to begin a six-month expedition on the Tiangong space station. With this mission, China is settling into a routine of operations on the Tiangong complex. Elsewhere in Asia, India took…
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“Big relief” as Europe’s Vega rocket returns to service with successful launch
A four-stage Vega launcher blasts off from French Guiana on Wednesday night. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – JM Guillon A European Vega rocket deployed six commercial satellites in orbit, including a new Airbus-built eye-in-the-sky for high-resolution Earth-imaging, on a successful launch from French Guiana on Wednesday night after two of the…