Tag: European Space Agency
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Europe’s first Ariane 6 flight achieved most of its goals, but ended prematurely
The first European Ariane 6 rocket fired off its launch pad at the edge of the Amazon rainforest and climbed into orbit Tuesday, an inaugural flight a decade in the making that restored Europe’s ability to put its own large satellites into space. The debut of the Ariane 6 rocket came almost exactly one year…
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Europe’s long-delayed flagship rocket is about to launch for the first time
Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket is finally ready to fly, four years late but vital as ever for European governments backing the more than $4 billion project. Set for liftoff from French Guiana, the new rocket will be Europe’s flagship launcher for the next decade, providing rides to space for European science probes, navigation satellites, and…
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HPS Leads Clean Space Initiative with ADEO Deorbit System
HPS, a pioneering force in space technology, has unveiled its ADEO deorbit system, designed to prevent satellite debris and ensure sustainable access to space. Developed over twelve years with support from the European Space Agency (ESA), the system has garnered significant interest from international markets, including Europe, North America, and Asia. The ADEO system, recognized…
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Officina Stellare Secures €3.5 Million ESA Contract for Lasercom Ground Station
Officina Stellare has been awarded a new contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to supply a comprehensive optical ground station (OGS) designed for laser communication applications. The contract spans 24 months and is valued at approximately €3.5 million, with Officina Stellare’s portion amounting to around €2.4 million. The project, named C3PO, entails two main…
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ESA and Vast Partner to Explore Commercial Space Station Collaboration
The European Space Agency (ESA) has entered into a groundbreaking agreement with Vast, a commercial space venture, aimed at studying potential collaborations regarding Vast’s upcoming commercial space stations. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was formalized on June 6 at the ILA Berlin air show. The partnership entails a comprehensive analysis of how ESA and its…
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Defunct European Satellite’s Reentry Highlights Orbital Debris Risks Amid Policy Shifts
The imminent reentry of the European Space Agency’s European Remote Sensing (ERS) 2 satellite serves as a stark reminder of the persistent hazards posed by existing space objects, even as agencies strive to curtail the proliferation of orbital debris. Expected to descend on February 21st after orbiting for nearly two decades, the European Remote Sensing…
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Rocket Report: China flies reusable rocket hopper; Falcon Heavy dazzles
Welcome to Edition 6.50 of the Rocket Report! SpaceX launched its 10th Falcon Heavy rocket this week with the GOES-U weather satellite for NOAA, and this one was a beauty. The late afternoon timing of the launch and atmospheric conditions made for great photography. Falcon Heavy has become a trusted rocket for the US government,…
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Rocket Report: North Korean rocket explosion; launch over Chinese skyline
Welcome to Edition 6.46 of the Rocket Report! It looks like we will be covering the crew test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and the fourth test flight of SpaceX’s giant Starship rocket over the next week. All of this is happening as SpaceX keeps up its cadence of flying multiple Starlink missions per week.…
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SpaceX launches European Commission’s Galileo satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying a pair of Galileo satellites for the European Commission’s constellation lifts off from Launch Complex 39A on April 27, 2024. The last time SpaceX launched an expandable Falcon 9 rocket was back in November 2022, 146 missions ago. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now SpaceX hit some notable milestones with the launch…
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A new era: Ariane 6 maiden launch campaign gets underway
On July 5, 2023, the Ariane 5 launch vehicle took flight for the last time, thus ending a storied 27-year career for what was Europe’s first heavy-lift rocket. Nearly ten months later, Arianespace is back at the launchpad with its new and advanced heavy-lift workhorse: the Ariane 6. For the first time, the central core…