Tag: European Space Agency
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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…
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SpaceX Marks 500th Reused-Rocket Orbital Mission With Launch of EU Ocean-Mapping Satellite
SpaceX launched a European ocean-monitoring satellite from California early Monday, completing the company’s 500th orbital mission using a flight-proven rocket booster. The Sentinel-6B spacecraft lifted off atop a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 12:21 a.m. EST (0521 GMT). “Sentinel-6B rising, extending nearly four decades of the precise sea-level record from space,” NASA…
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Exploration Company Completes Debris-Shield Tests for Nyx Spacecraft Ahead of 2028 Debut
European space logistics startup The Exploration Company said it has completed the first test campaign of the micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) shielding for its Nyx spacecraft, a modular vehicle scheduled to make its debut in 2028. The tests were performed under the European Space Agency’s (ESA) LEO Cargo Return Services initiative, which is funding…
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SBQuantum Wins ESA Contract to Develop Enhanced Quantum Magnetometer for Earth Observation
SBQuantum has secured a new contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to deliver a next-generation prototype of its quantum diamond magnetometer for Earth observation missions, the Canadian company said. The agreement, valued at nearly $1 million, is funded through ESA’s FutureEO programme and follows an earlier contract in which SBQuantum produced a custom magnetometer…
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ESA Ministers to Weigh Historic Move Toward Defense-Focused Space Projects
The European Space Agency (ESA) is poised for a pivotal decision later this month, as its Council of Ministers prepares to vote on a package of projects that could mark the agency’s first formal step toward supporting European defense activities. The two-day meeting, scheduled for Nov. 26–27, will bring together senior officials from ESA’s 23…
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We’re about to find many more interstellar interlopers—here’s how to visit one
A few days ago, an inscrutable interstellar interloper made its closest approach to Mars, where a fleet of international spacecraft seek to unravel the red planet’s ancient mysteries. Several of the probes encircling Mars took a break from their usual activities and turned their cameras toward space to catch a glimpse of an object named…
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CHEOPS discovers exoplanet triggering explosive flares on host star
Using the European Space Agency’s Characterizing Exoplanets Satellite (CHEOPS) telescope, a team of astronomers has discovered an exoplanet that may be triggering its host star to release massive flares of radiation. These flares are similar to the coronal mass ejection our Sun produces, and the harsh radiation emitted from the flares is slowly blowing away…