Tag: European Space Agency
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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…
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Thales Alenia Space Finalises Industrial Team for ESA’s Argonaut Lunar Lander
Thales Alenia Space has completed the formation of the core industrial team that will develop the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Argonaut lunar lander, signing contracts with Nammo, OHB System and two of its own subsidiaries, the company said on Thursday. ESA awarded an €862 million contract in January 2025 to a consortium led by Thales…
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ESA to Centralise Exploration Operations in Cologne With €20 Million Facility
The European Space Agency (ESA) said on Wednesday it will build a new €20 million facility at its European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, as part of a plan to bring all of its human and robotic exploration activities under one hub. The project will relocate part of the Human and Robotic Exploration directorate…
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Canada Boosts ESA Contributions with $528.5 Million Commitment
Canada will significantly increase its financial participation in European Space Agency (ESA) programmes, committing $528.5 million in what the government described as a “tenfold” rise compared with previous contribution levels. Canada is ESA’s only non-European Cooperating State, a status held since 1979 that grants the Canadian Space Agency selective access to ESA optional programmes. In…
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Europe Urged to Set Roadmap for Space-Based Data Centres as Industry Opportunity Grows
Europe risks ceding leadership in a rapidly emerging industry unless it urgently develops a roadmap for placing data centres in orbit, according to a new report from the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI). The institute’s analysis concludes that space-based data centres could become a transformative sector for Europe’s digital and space industries, with the global…