Thales Alenia Space

By Robert Wall
European officials plan to move quickly to put on contract risk reduction efforts for the IRIS² satellite communications program to mature critical tech.
Satellites

By Robert Wall
The Exploration Company, which is working on an ESA cargo return capsule, says it has closed a $160 million Series B funding round.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
From project financing to launcher and exploration initiatives, the region is devising an agenda to stay in the global space race.
Budget, Policy & Regulation

By Irene Klotz, Robert Wall
A number of initiatives were disclosed, but the talk of the show was SpaceX’s Starship booster catch, which happened just ahead of the IAC opening.
Space Exploration

By Robert Wall
Reaching the Moon to do something useful there involves preparation—which is now underway as agencies and companies aim to return humans to the lunar surface.
Space Exploration

By Robert Wall
The total size of the constellation is now 13 spacecraft.
Satellites

By Robert Wall
Airbus has embarked on a cost-containment effort and a mid-term competitiveness plan as part of its effort to turn around its struggling space business.
Space

By Thierry Dubois
Leonardo is talking to Airbus and Thales about linking their satellite manufacturing businesses, officials say—which could help the companies to deal with slow demand.
Farnborough Airshow

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

By Robert Wall
The ESA has awarded The Exploration Company and Thales Alenia Space separate contracts to continue work to develop low-Earth-orbit cargo return services.
Commercial Space

By Thierry Dubois
The U.S. will contribute the launch service, aerobraking engines and radioisotope heater units.
Space

By Thierry Dubois
ESA has awarded Thales Alenia Space a contract for the development of the Mars Entry, Descent and Landing Module of the ExoMars 2028 mission.
Space

By Tony Osborne
Officially forming on March 12, Leonardo's space business becomes one of five business areas representing each of the warfighting domains: land, air, sea, cyber and space.
Commercial Space

By Garrett Reim
D-Orbit, a space tug startup, has raised a €100 million ($109.7 million) Series C round.
Commercial Space

By Graham Warwick
Over 50 years, GPS has evolved and inspired the development of similar systems by other nations.
Space

By Irene Klotz
NASA is working with at least six companies interested in operating orbital outposts.
Commercial Space

By Garrett Reim
LeoStella and Hera Systems have formed a strategic manufacturing partnership and put forward a proposal for the U.S. Space Development Agency.
Space

By Tony Osborne
Airbus, Lockheed Martin and Thales Alenia Space can take part in the first phase of the tender for the UK’s Skynet Enduring Capability Wideband satcoms program.
Space

By Irene Klotz
Ordinary matter accounts for just 5% of the universe. The Euclid mission will focus on everything else.
Space

By Irene Klotz
Arianespace’s workhorse Ariane 5 rocket closed out 27 years of operations on July 5 with its 117th mission.
Space

By Irene Klotz
The final Ariane 5 rocket was rolled out to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) launch site in French Guiana on July 3.
Space

By Irene Klotz
The probe will conduct a six-year survey to answer questions about dark matter, dark energy and what the universe is made of.
Space

By Irene Klotz
The mission, which is intended to deliver two European government communications satellites into orbit, had been targeted to launch on June 16.
Commercial Space

By Irene Klotz
The spacecraft will be designed to perform a wide range of robotic operations on existing satellites.
Space

By Garrett Reim
Europe’s space and telecommunication heavyweights have formed a consortium to bid for the European Union’s IRIS² satellite constellation.
Commercial Space