Tag: ESA
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ESA Delays Space Rider Drop Test After Anomaly During Helicopter Ascent
The European Space Agency (ESA) has postponed a key drop test of its Space Rider reusable spaceplane after an anomaly occurred during a helicopter-assisted ascent phase in May, delaying the final stage of the vehicle’s landing qualification campaign. ESA confirmed that the incident took place during a two-week test campaign that concluded on May 8,…
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Isar Aerospace scrubs second launch of Spectrum rocket after weeks of delays
The European private space launch provider Isar Aerospace, headquartered in Ottobrunn, Germany, is set to fly its Spectrum small-satellite launcher on its second mission after weeks of delays and aborted launch attempts. Over a year after Spectrum’s first flight failed, the company is to fly the “Onward and Upward” mission from the Orbital Launch Pad…
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AAC Clyde Space secures €10.9M ESA contract for VDES satellites
How will AAC Clyde Space’s €10.9M ESA contract advance maritime satellite monitoring? The European Space Agency awarded AAC Clyde Space a €10.9 million ($12.6 million) contract to complete development and demonstrate VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) satellites for maritime monitoring. The Glasgow-based smallsat manufacturer will deliver eight CubeSat-class satellites equipped with VDES payloads, designed to…
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Europe Faces $47B Space Infrastructure Gap Post-Launch
Can Europe Close Its $47 Billion Space Infrastructure Gap? Europe faces a critical $47 billion investment shortfall in space infrastructure over the next decade, threatening its sovereign space capabilities despite recent launch successes including Ariane 6’s debut. ESA estimates current funding covers only 65% of requirements for maintaining competitive positioning against U.S. and Chinese space…
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Isar Aerospace Raises €270 Million to Scale Spectrum Rocket Production and Expand Global Launch Network
German launch services company Isar Aerospace has secured a €270 million Series D funding round to accelerate global expansion, increase production of its Spectrum launch vehicle and strengthen sovereign space capabilities for Europe, NATO members and allied nations. The company said the new capital will support the worldwide scaling of its operations and the ramp-up…
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NASA Names Four-Astronaut Crew for Artemis III Docking Mission with SpaceX and Blue Origin Landers
NASA has selected three American astronauts and one European astronaut to fly on Artemis III, a landmark mission scheduled for late 2027 that will conduct the first in-space docking demonstrations between NASA’s Orion spacecraft and lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced the crew during a ceremony in Houston…
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Preview: NASA to unveil Artemis 3 crew, provide updates on mission
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft stand at Launch Complex 39B on Tuesday, March 31, ahead of the planned launch of Artemis 2. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now NASA is set to introduce the world to the four astronauts who will fly the Artemis 3 mission Tuesday morning. The announcement will take place at…
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SSC Space Launches SubOrbital Express-5 Mission Carrying 12 Microgravity Experiments
SSC Space successfully launched its SubOrbital Express-5 mission on 31 May from the Esrange Space Centre in northern Sweden, carrying 12 scientific and commercial experiments designed to operate in microgravity conditions. The sounding rocket reached an altitude of approximately 260 kilometres and provided researchers with around six and a half minutes of microgravity during the…
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The Exploration Company advances Nyx parachute recovery
The Exploration Company (TEC), developing the reusable Nyx spacecraft, has taken a significant step forward in its recovery system development. The company completed a dedicated drop test of the Nyx parachute system in the Mojave Desert, California, validating the critical transition from drogue to main parachutes. This test marks another milestone in TEC’s push to…
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Venturi Space Raises Toulouse Facility Investment to €250 Million
Venturi Space has increased its planned investment in a new manufacturing and technology facility in Toulouse, France, to €250 million, up from the €100 million originally announced earlier this year. The Monaco-based space technology company said the expanded investment will support the development and production of technologies for lunar and Martian mobility systems, including rover…