Tag: European Space Agency
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Eutelsat Adds 340 Satellites to Airbus Order for OneWeb LEO Network
Eutelsat has expanded its order with Airbus for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, increasing the total to 440 units as it moves to strengthen and expand the OneWeb constellation following a recent capital raise. The latest agreement, announced on Jan. 12, 2026, adds 340 satellites to an initial order of 100 placed in December 2024.…
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ESA Revises ISS Barter Plan With NASA After Cancelling Cargo Transport Call
The European Space Agency (ESA) has outlined a revised barter arrangement with the United States that would allow it to meet its International Space Station (ISS) cost-sharing obligations without commissioning a dedicated commercial cargo delivery mission, senior officials said this month. The move follows ESA’s decision in December to cancel a call for proposals for…
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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…
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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…
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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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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…
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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…
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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…
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Redwire Wins $44 Million DARPA Contract to Build VLEO Satellite with Air-Breathing Propulsion
Redwire Corporation has secured a $44 million Phase 2 contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to manufacture and deliver a very-low-Earth-orbit (VLEO) satellite equipped with air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) technology, the company said. The award is part of DARPA’s Otter program, which seeks to validate whether satellites can operate for more…
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Polish Consortium Successfully Tests Three-Stage Suborbital Rocket
A consortium of Polish state-owned and private companies has completed a successful test flight of a three-stage suborbital rocket designed to carry research payloads above the Kármán line, the internationally recognised boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and space. The programme, launched in early 2020, received approximately 18.6 million zł (€4.1 million) in European Regional Development Fund…