European Space Agency

By Graham Warwick
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
ESA awarded two launches to Isar Aerospace, giving a boost to the German rocket startup, as it also unveiled an agreement with Avio for three Vega-C missions.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Mark Carreau
Magnetic forces and electrolysis could be employed in space to generate oxygen for astronauts on deep space missions, researchers say.
Space Exploration

By Robert Wall
The Ariane 62 rocket placed the Metop-SG-A1 satellite into Sun-Synchronous Orbit at an altitude of around 800 km (500 mi) about 64 min after liftoff.
Satellites

By Robert Wall
German satellite maker OHB expects to reach a record of around €2.8 billion ($3.3 billion) in order bookings for next year.
Satellites

By Mark Carreau
NASA’s Tracer twin-satellite mission launched successfully with a handful of other small spacecraft payloads on July 23.
Satellites

By Thierry Dubois
Dassault Aviation is pushing for its proposed Vortex reusable spaceplane to become a European Space Agency program.
Space Exploration

By Thierry Dubois
ESA engineers are using a system testbed to prepare algorithms on the second generation of Galileo timing, positioning and navigation satellites.
Satellites

By Garrett Reim
The EU is pouring billions into sovereign satellite constellations.
Satellites

By Thierry Dubois
ESA is finalizing the test phase of the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer satellite, a joint mission with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Satellites

By Robert Wall
The European Space Agency says it has made the first optical communications connection between a ground station and NASA’s Psyche mission.
Satellites

By Robert Wall
Europe’s meteorological agency Eumetsat wants to go ahead with the EPS-Sterna program that aims to grow a system of 20 weather-monitoring satellites.
Satellites

By Robert Wall
The European Space Agency has named five companies as participants in its European Launcher Challenge.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
ESA says astronomers have now confirmed the discovery of only the third interstellar comet and it is due for its closest approach to Earth in October.
Space Exploration

By Robert Wall
Europe has added to its weather monitoring and Earth-observation capacity with the launch of the MTG-S1 satellite and the Sentinel-4 instrument.
Satellites

By Robert Wall
Rocket Lab says ESA has picked the company to deploy the first two low-Earth-orbit positioning navigation and timing satellites using its Electron rocket.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
The European Commission (EC) has formally unveiled the long-awaited European Union Space Act to enhance the region’s industry and bolster resilience.
Budget, Policy & Regulation

By Robert Wall
German launch services startup Isar Aerospace says it has secured $174 million in financing from investment firm Eldridge Industries to expand its operation.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim
The Exploration Co.’s Nyx capsule was lost after reentry, the company announced June 24.
Space Exploration

By Thierry Dubois
Dassault Aviation is exhibiting a small-scale model of the Vortex, a reusable spaceplane it is proposing for dual-use civil-military applications.
Space Exploration

By Irene Klotz
The European Space Agency (ESA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) June 18 to work with a third aspiring U.S. space station operator.
Space Exploration

By Thierry Dubois
Thales Alenia Space is preparing a demonstration satellite for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) in low Earth orbit (LEO) for launch this year.
Satellites

By Thierry Dubois
Top executives at ArianeGroup, Arianespace, Avio and the European Space Agency (ESA) are now turning their attention to increasing launch cadences.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Joe Anselmo, Guy Norris
Europe will need to step up its role in space as NASA focuses its resources on sending humans to the Moon and Mars, says acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro.
Budget, Policy & Regulation

By Wesley Charnock
Venturi Space gave Paris Air Show a first look at its Mona Luna rover, planned for use by the European Space Agency and France's CNES in future Moon missions.
Space