Tag: Thales Alenia Space
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Thales Alenia Space to Build Software-Defined Eshail-3/Türksat-Biruni Satellite
Thales Alenia Space has secured a contract from Es’hailSat to build a new software-defined communications satellite that will expand broadband connectivity across Europe, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. Astronomy The satellite, named Eshail-3/Türksat-Biruni, will be jointly operated by Qatar-based Es’hailSat and Turkish satellite operator Türksat. Financial terms of the contract and a launch…
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NASA Delivers First Braking Engines for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mars Mission
NASA has delivered the first braking engines for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosalind Franklin Mars mission, marking an important milestone in the agencies’ collaboration to return the rover mission to flight. The braking engines are one of three major contributions NASA is providing to the mission, alongside launch services and Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs)…
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Thales Alenia Space Awards Astrobotic Contract For Wheels Of Lunar Habitat Module
Space manufacturer Thales Alenia Space has awarded a contract to U.S. robotics company Astrobotic to develop specialized wheels for a mobile lunar habitat under development for the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The wheels will be used on the Multi-Purpose Habitation Module, a concept designed to support human missions on the Moon as part of the…
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Astrobotic to Supply Wheels for Italy’s Driveable Lunar Habitat
Astrobotic has been selected to build the wheels for a driveable lunar habitat planned by the Italian Space Agency, the company announced on Friday. The Pittsburgh-based firm secured a contract of undisclosed value from Thales Alenia Space to contribute wheel systems for Italy’s Multi-Purpose Habitation (MPH) lunar project. Astrobotic said the wheels will be designed…
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France Awards €50 Million SAR Demonstrator Contract to Loft Orbital-Led Consortium
CNES has awarded a contract to a consortium led by Loft Orbital to develop a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery demonstrator, a project designed to strengthen France’s sovereign radar imaging capabilities and establish a national radar imaging value chain, the companies said. The project, known as DESIR (Démonstrateur des Éléments Souverains en Imagerie Radar), is…
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France Awards Loft Orbital €50 Million Contract for First Sovereign SAR Satellite
French satellite manufacturer Loft Orbital has secured a contract worth nearly €50 million ($58.6 million) from the French military to deliver the country’s first sovereign synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite capability, the company said on Tuesday. The award forms part of France’s DESIR programme — short for Demonstrator of Sovereign Radar Imaging Elements — which aims…
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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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SpaceX opens 2026 with launch of Cosmo-SkyMed Earth observation satellite for Italy
The Cosmo-SkyMed Second Generation Flight Model 3 satellite deploys from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 2, 2026. Image: SpaceX via livestream SpaceX rang in the new year with a Falcon 9 rocket launch Friday evening from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Aboard was a 1,700-kg (3,748 lb) Earth observation satellite with dual civilian…
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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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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…