Tag: Europe
-
Portugal Orders Two Earth-Observation Satellites From Satellogic for Atlantic Constellation
Portugal has commissioned two new Earth-observation satellites from Argentine company Satellogic, strengthening its space-based monitoring capabilities and contributing to a joint Iberian initiative aimed at expanding European-owned orbital infrastructure. Satellogic said on Monday it had signed an $18 million contract with Portugal’s Centre of Engineering and Product Development (CEiiA) to build and deploy two NewSat…
-
ESA Delays First Themis Hop Test Until Spring as Sweden Site Remains Snowbound
The European Space Agency (ESA) said it is waiting for spring conditions to conduct the first hop test of its Themis reusable rocket booster demonstrator, after winter weather delayed preparations at the launch site in northern Sweden. The Themis vehicle has been stationed at the Esrange Space Centre near Kiruna since mid-2025, but heavy snow…
-
South Korea’s Innospace Signs Deal to Launch Hanbit Rockets From Portugal’s Santa Maria
South Korean launch services provider Innospace has signed an agreement with the Atlantic Spaceport Consortium (ASC) to conduct launches of its Hanbit rocket family from the Malbusca Spaceport on the Portuguese island of Santa Maria, expanding Europe’s emerging commercial launch infrastructure. The agreement, signed on Jan. 8, makes Innospace the first company planning orbital launches…
-
MaiaSpace Says 2026 Maiden Flight Will Test ‘Minimum Viable’ Rocket Configuration
French launch startup MaiaSpace said an initial flight of its Maia rocket planned for 2026 will focus on validating core flight phases using what the company described as a “minimum viable product,” as it works toward commercial launch services from 2027. MaiaSpace, founded in 2022 as a wholly owned subsidiary of ArianeGroup, is developing a…
-
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…
-
Soyuz MS-28 Delivers New Crew to International Space Station
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Roscosmos cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut successfully launched to the International Space Station on Thursday, Nov. 27, marking the final crewed mission to the orbiting laboratory under Expedition 73. The Soyuz MS-28 mission lifted off at 09:27 UTC atop a Soyuz 2.1a rocket from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur…
-
Acme Space to Test Balloon-Rocket Hybrid Vehicle in 2026 Ahead of Orbital Manufacturing Plans
London-based Acme Space said it plans to begin flight testing its balloon-rocket hybrid launch vehicle in the new year, as it prepares for commercial in-orbit manufacturing missions targeted for 2027. The company said it is already working with two unnamed pharmaceutical firms to develop protein crystal growth payloads for its first operational flights. The vehicle,…
-
ESA and Norway Move Toward Establishing Arctic Space Centre in Tromsø
The European Space Agency (ESA) and Norway have signed a letter of intent to explore the establishment of an ESA Arctic Space Centre in Tromsø, a move aimed at strengthening Europe’s scientific, environmental and strategic capabilities in the High North. The agreement was announced on Nov. 27 during ESA’s ministerial conference. Under the plan, a…
-
ESA Proposes €22.25 Billion Budget for 2026–2028, Driven by New Security Programme
The European Space Agency (ESA) has proposed a budget of €22.254 billion for the 2026–2028 period, marking a sharp increase from €16.9 billion allocated in the previous three-year funding cycle, as Europe seeks to strengthen both its commercial space sector and its security-related capabilities. A major contributor to the proposed expansion is ESA’s newly created…
-
ESA Weighs New Roles for Orion Service Module and Mars Orbiter Amid U.S. Budget Uncertainty
The European Space Agency (ESA) is assessing options to repurpose two of its major spacecraft programmes after growing uncertainty over continued U.S. support for the NASA missions they were originally built to serve, ESA officials told ministers during the agency’s Ministerial Council in Bremen this week. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher presented proposals that would…