Tag: Europe
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Europe Shelves ICARUS Upper Stage Upgrade to Prioritize Ariane 6 Output
The ICARUS program was intended to improve Ariane 6 performance and competitiveness. Its suspension redirects effort toward getting more Ariane 6 rockets built and flown. The upgrade has been paused rather than cancelled, but no restart timeline was provided. The decision lands as Europe’s launch sector faces pressure from SpaceX and a shortage of domestic…
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Kreios Space Targets 2028 VLEO Demonstration With NanoAvionics Satellite Bus
Spanish aerospace startup Kreios Space has selected Kongsberg NanoAvionics to provide the satellite platform for its first very low Earth orbit (VLEO) demonstration mission, which is targeted for launch in 2028. The mission will serve as the company’s first in-orbit test of its air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) technology, designed to enable satellites to operate for…
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MaiaSpace Avoids Dissolution Despite 2025 Loss as ArianeGroup Backs Launcher Development
MaiaSpace will continue operating after its parent company, ArianeGroup, decided not to dissolve the French launch startup despite a significant financial loss in 2025 that left its shareholders’ equity below zero. Financial statements filed on July 22, 2026, showed MaiaSpace recorded a net loss of €37.5 million during 2025. Although the company ended the year…
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ArianeGroup Completes Wet Dress Rehearsal for Themis Reusable Booster
ArianeGroup has completed a wet dress rehearsal of its Themis reusable booster demonstrator at the Esrange Space Centre in Sweden, marking a key milestone in the vehicle’s ongoing test campaign. The rehearsal was carried out on July 23 by teams from ArianeGroup and SSC Space, the operator of Esrange Space Centre, with the company announcing…
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AMOS Selected to Build PROVIDENCE Space Surveillance Telescope for France
Belgian optical systems company AMOS has been selected by the French aerospace research agency ONERA to design and manufacture PROVIDENCE, a ground-based telescope intended to support space surveillance operations for the French Air and Space Force. Astronomy The 2.5-meter telescope is scheduled to enter service in early 2029 and will be installed at the Haute-Provence…
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UK Space Agency Delays £75.6 Million Active Debris Removal Contract Award
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has delayed awarding a contract for the next phase of the United Kingdom’s first active orbital debris removal mission, missing its original deadline for the £75.6 million program. Astronomy The contract for Phase 3 of the Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission was initially scheduled to be awarded by March 30,…
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Poland Commits 656M EUR to IRIS² Constellation
Does Poland’s IRIS² Commitment Signal Eastern Europe’s Rising Weight in Space Policy? Poland has pledged 656 million euros — approximately $748 million — to Europe’s IRIS² satellite constellation, an amount that funds nearly 10% of the program according to an agreement signed Tuesday in Warsaw. That single commitment reframes Poland’s position in European space infrastructure…
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Latitude Targets Late 2027 First Launch from Oman’s Etlaq
Does Latitude Plan to Launch from Oman? Yes. French small launch vehicle startup Latitude announced July 1, 2026 that it signed a letter of intent with Etlaq Spaceport to conduct an "experimental" first launch from the coastal southern Oman facility in late 2027. The rocket is designed to place up to 200 kilograms into low…
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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)…