Boca Raton-based Terran Orbital builds small-to-midsized satellites. Its order book includes 300 satellites for Rivada Networks, it has contracts in place with the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA’s Space development Agency. In 2023 it introduced a range of seven standardised satellite options for clients wanting a speedy solution for nano, micro, mini and small […]
Europe already has one rival to its giant Ariane rocket in the form of the Vega mid-sized launcher. However, Vega is itself subject to delays caused by a failure at the end of 2022 and in any case is only good for lower weight or orbital tasks. Stephane Israel, chief executive of Arianespace, questioned the […]
Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), speaking at the European Space Conference held in Brussels, has urged European space-related industries to be bolder. He wants to set up a ‘Strategy 2040’ programme, and has agreement from the EU. “Europe has to be bold, or else we will always remain a 2nd […]
Josef Ansbacher, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) director general, in its annual press briefing, said it is looking for ideas for missions and system concepts to help us reach our goal of long-term orbital sustainability. The new programme looks forward to 2050 and ESA is upping its budget by 10 per cent this year. However, […]
The European Space Agency (ESA) issued a strong warning to contractors supplying components for its new Ariane 6 rocket. They will be barred from raising prices over and above their originally quoted costs – and that ESA expects prices to be reduced. Phillippe Baptiste, head of France’s CNES space agency, said this was not the […]
Intelsat has already ordered a small HummingSat craft from manufacturer SWISSto12. The company is now developing further iterations of its 3D-printed small satellites with help from the European Space Agency (ESA). London-based Inmarsat, now owned by Viasat, has ordered three HummingSats. The HummingSat craft are small, and orbit at geostationary altitudes and designed to be […]
Government members of the European Space Agency (ESA) have agreed to fund an extra €340 million per year to Arianespace for its planned Ariane 6 rocket currently in development. The cash is needed to pay for the non-activity of Arianespace because its new rocket is extremely late. An inaugural test flight for Ariane 6 is […]
Satellite builder Terran Orbital has won a modest $4.7 million (€4.5m) contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) for an “in-orbit servicing mission”. The news is extremely timely as Terran is holding a Town Hall virtual meeting today (October 26th) for shareholders, some of whom have expressed displeasure with the CEO and Board of Directors […]
The European Space Agency (ESA) is using an image of a giant spaceship, more like a massive cruiseliner than a space vehicle, as a teaser for its VLEO (Very Low Earth Orbit) scheme. ESA DG Josef Aschbacher says that ESA wants to “Unleash the potential of Very Low Earth Orbits: [and] calls for innovative missions, […]
SpaceX has signed a deal with the European Space Agency (ESA) over potential satellite launches, according to the WSJ. Normally – in fact almost always – ESA uses Arianespace rockets to launch its scientific and governmental missions. However, there are no Arianespace launches available until 2025. The first test flight of Arianespace’s new Ariane 6 […]