Europe
OneWeb and Hanwha partner to tap Australia’s military broadband market
OneWeb and two subsidiaries of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group have partnered to explore the joint provision of connectivity services to the Australian defense market.
ESA funds Skimsat demonstrator study for VLEO
The European Space Agency has awarded funds to develop a demonstrator for Skimsat, a small satellite platform designed to operate in very low Earth orbit (VLEO).
Vega C lifts off on maiden flight
Europe’s new Vega C medium-lift rocket lifted off on its maiden flight July 13, carrying an Italian physics satellite and six cubesats.
Avio gets pandemic recovery funds to develop launchers for the 2030s
Italian rocket maker Avio secured 340 million euros ($358 million) in government funding June 29 to develop launch vehicles for the next decade.
Telespazio to play key role in satellite servicing market
Telespazio intends to play a key role in the future in-orbit servicing market, providing customers seeking satellite relocation, refueling, repair or removal with the necessary space and ground-based capabilities.
D-Orbit books Isar Aerospace launch for orbital transfer vehicle
Germany’s Isar Aerospace announced plans June 22 to launch an orbital transfer vehicle no earlier than 2023 for Italian space logistics company D-Orbit.
Aerospacelab to build “megafactory” in Belgium
Belgian startup Aerospacelab announced plans June 14 to establish a new satellite "megafactory” large enough to produce 500 satellites annually.
Ariane 6 launch debut pushed into 2023
The maiden flight for Ariane 6 that had been slated toward the end of 2022 is now targeting next year, European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher said June 13.
Inmarsat satellite tests signal for replacing lost UK navigation capability
Inmarsat said June 8 it has started beaming a test navigation signal from an aging satellite to help the United Kingdom replace space-based capabilities it lost following Brexit.
Lockheed and ABL’s first UK vertical launch slips into 2023
Lockheed Martin no longer expects its UK Pathfinder mission will fly this year, although it remains in the running to perform the first-ever vertical launch to orbit from British soil.
Avio Q&A: Powering the growth trajectory
SpaceNews interviews Avio CEO Giulio Ranzo as the rocket maker is just weeks away from Vega C’s debut. Avio is also ramping up production of boosters to meet Amazon’s colossal Ariane 6 order, and could potentially accelerate the development of the next-generation Vega E as Russia’s war in Ukraine threatens suppliers.
Astrocast buying Hiber to boost funding and expansion plans
Cash-strapped smallsat operator Astrocast announced plans May 30 to buy Dutch connectivity solutions provider Hiber, which scrapped plans for its own constellation last year following failures on its initial satellites.
UK’s Open Cosmos gets ESA funding for space weather constellation
British small satellite startup Open Cosmos said May 27 it has secured European Space Agency funding to develop plans for a space weather monitoring constellation.
Astroscale gets funds for 2024 debris-removal mission
Astroscale has secured European Space Agency funding for a 2024 demo mission to remove what will likely be a OneWeb satellite.
Benchmark works with Space Forge to develop reusable engines
Benchmark Space Systems announced plans May 24 to produce engines in the United Kingdom and to work with U.K. startup Space Forge to develop reusable chemical propulsion systems.
Inmarsat agrees to move ground station out of the Netherlands
Inmarsat is seeking permission from Greece to move a ground station there from the Netherlands, which wants to sell the C-band spectrum the site uses for maritime safety services to 5G wireless operators.
