Space Tech Expo

Spanish startup PLD Space gears up for 2022 suborbital launch
Spanish launch startup PLD Space has debuted a fully assembled Miura 1 reusable suborbital rocket as a step towards its inaugural flight in 2022.

Plus Ultra aims to provide communications infrastructure for incoming wave of moon missions
Spanish-German company Plus Ultra Space Outposts is making moves to be the provider for essential communications and navigation infrastructure for upcoming moon missions.

Rocket Factory Augsburg lands new customer in build up to first launch
German launch startup Rocket Factory Augsburg has signed a new customer for the first launch of its RFA One rocket next year.

Commercial spaceports seen as the future for European launch
Actors engaged in the emerging European commercial launch sector are looking to European commercial spaceports to be established rather than shipping rockets farther afield.

Arianespace to launch Australian Optus-11 on Ariane 6
Arianespace has secured a contract with Australian operator SingTel Optus to launch the Optus-11 communications satellite using Ariane 6 in 2023.

European space industry alarmed by Russian ASAT test
European space industry figures have expressed alarm at Russia’s destructive antisatellite test which has created thousands of pieces of orbital debris.

Exolaunch signs multi-launch rideshare deal with SpaceX
German launch services provider Exolaunch has signed a multi-launch agreement for more capacity on SpaceX Transporter rideshare missions over the next two years.

Morpheus unveils Sphere product line for satellite constellations
Morpheus, a German propulsion startup that opened an office in Los Angeles earlier this year, unveiled a suite of products, called the Sphere ecosystem, that are designed to work together to reduce the cost and complexity of satellite constellation operations.

Thrustme, Spacety report initial success of cold gas thruster
Spacety and ThrustMe reported success in initial on-orbit testing of an iodine-fueled cubesat thruster at the Space Tech Expo Europe.

Advanced technology, investment clearing way for spaceliners
Development of spaceplanes for suborbital tourism, satellite launches and point-to-point terrestrial transportation are benefiting from advanced technology, panelists said at the Space Tech Expo Europe.

Space hardware manufacturers urge realistic expectations for 3D printing
Space hardware builders say they fully expect 3D printing to revolutionize manufacturing, but cautioned that the technology is sometimes promoted without a full understanding of its pros and cons.

Accelerator boosts prospects for Morpheus Space
German propulsion startup Morpheus Space won a U.S. Air Force Small Business Innovation Research contract and a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory purchase order after participating in the Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator.

QinetiQ lands ESA contract with new Belgian plant, aims to grow space business
British aerospace company QinetiQ will use a newly expanded factory to build heat transfer experiment infrastructure for the European Space Agency under a 9 million euro ($10 million) contract, the company announced Nov. 21.

D-Orbit consortium radar satellite to monitor infrastructure
A consortium led by Italian space company D-Orbit plans to operate a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite for infrastructure monitoring.

ULA gets vague on Vulcan upgrade timeline
As United Launch Alliance prepares for the maiden flight of its Vulcan Centaur rocket, the company no longer has a clear timeline for a major second-stage upgrade.

China’s Spacety CEO sees future in radar satellites, data fusion
Feng Yang, Spacety CEO and founder, talked with SpaceNews about his plans for small synthetic aperture radar satellites and the origins of the company at the Space Tech Expo Europe.