Tag: Europe
-
Hypersonica Raises €23.3 Million and Tests Hypersonic Missile Prototype
Munich-based defence startup Hypersonica has emerged from stealth mode with a €23.3 million Series A funding round and confirmation that it successfully test-launched a hypersonic missile prototype earlier this month. Founded in December 2023, the company says it is developing Europe’s first privately funded hypersonic strike capability, with operations across Germany and the United Kingdom.…
-
Latvian Startup Develops Nuclear Power System to Survive Lunar Night
Latvian nuclear power startup Deep Space Energy has secured €930,000 ($1.1 million) in funding to develop a compact radioisotope power generation system designed to keep spacecraft operating through the Moon’s two-week-long lunar night, the company said. The funding package includes a €350,000 pre-seed investment round led by Outlast Fund and NanoAvionics co-founder Linas Sargautis, as…
-
UK Space Agency Awards Contracts to Advance In-Orbit Manufacturing
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has awarded contracts worth more than $1.1 million to three British companies to develop technologies for manufacturing products in microgravity, the agency said. The funding aims to accelerate research into producing advanced materials and medicines in space, where conditions such as microgravity and vacuum can yield higher-quality results than on…
-
Exploration Company Tests Nyx Capsule Splashdown Ahead of ISS Cargo Plans
European space logistics startup The Exploration Company has completed a controlled splashdown test of a scaled prototype of its Nyx reusable spacecraft, marking a key step toward its planned cargo missions to low Earth orbit. Founded in 2021, the company is developing Nyx as a reusable capsule designed initially to transport cargo to and from…
-
Isar Aerospace Expands Engine Test Facilities Ahead of Second Spectrum Launch
German launch company Isar Aerospace said it will expand its testing infrastructure at Sweden’s Esrange Space Center as it prepares for the second flight of its Spectrum rocket, currently expected no earlier than March 19. Founded in 2018, Isar Aerospace is developing the 28-meter-tall Spectrum launcher, designed to deliver up to 1,000 kilograms to low…
-
ESA Awards €81.2 Million Contract for Apophis Asteroid Mission
The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded OHB Italia an €81.2 million contract to build, assemble and test the spacecraft for its Ramses mission, which will study the asteroid Apophis during a rare close flyby of Earth in 2029. The contract signals that the mission has entered full development following approval of funding at ESA’s…
-
Constellr Raises €37 Million to Expand Thermal Satellite Network for Defence Use
Munich-based Earth observation company Constellr said on Feb. 10 it had raised €37 million in a Series A funding round, bringing its total capital raised to €75 million as it pivots toward defence-focused satellite services. The round was led by venture capital firms Alpine Space Ventures and Lakestar. Founded in 2020, Constellr operates a thermal…
-
DLR to Build Human Exploration Control Center for Moon and Mars Missions
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) will establish a new Human Exploration Control Center (HECC) at its Oberpfaffenhofen site near Munich to support future human and robotic missions to the Moon and Mars. The facility will expand the existing German Space Operations Center and is intended to manage complex, long-duration missions beyond low Earth orbit. Officials…
-
Eutelsat Secures French-Backed Financing to Expand OneWeb Satellite Constellation
European satellite communications operator Eutelsat has secured nearly €1 billion in government-backed financing from France to support the expansion of its OneWeb low-Earth-orbit broadband constellation, the company said. The €975 million agreement, announced on Feb. 11, is backed by the French Export Credit Agency and will fund a recently signed contract with Airbus Defence and…
-
NRO Awards First Contracts to Commercial Space Firms Under New Procurement Program
The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has awarded its first three contracts under a new procurement program aimed at expanding access to commercial satellite intelligence capabilities, Deputy Director Maj. Gen. Christopher Povak said on Thursday. Speaking at the National Security Space Association’s Defense and Intelligence Space Conference, Povak said the contracts were issued through the…