Airbus
What Airbus learned from building satellites with OneWeb
Regardless of whether the Airbus-OneWeb joint venture gearing up to crank out dozens of satellites a month ultimately builds just 648 satellites or closer to the 900 originally envisioned, OneWeb’s constellation is the first such project large enough to truly incorporate aviation-style mass production procedures for spacecraft.
HTS, megaconstellations feed UK indecisiveness about Skynet 6 program
Commercial satellite technology is developing so fast, Britain’s Ministry of Defense isn’t certain its next-generation program will keep pace with what the future holds.
Airbus CEO calls for reforms to European space governance
The chief executive of Airbus used an international space conference to call for reforms in how Europe manages and funds space activities in order to better compete on the global market.
First Orion service module ready for shipment to the U.S.
The first European-built service module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft is finally ready to be shipped to the United States for final preparations before a scheduled mid-2020 launch.
Airbus forecasts 15 to 18 commercial GEO orders as new annual norm
As satellite manufacturers grapple with what increasingly looks like a permanent decline in the number of commercial geostationary communications satellites purchased worldwide, one offered hope that a partial rebound will ensue in the coming years.
Descartes Labs forms imagery partnership with Airbus
Descartes Labs announced Aug. 15 a partnership with Airbus to feed high resolution global imagery into its geospatial data platform. The Sante Fe, New Mexico-based startup also completed beta testing of its cloud-based “data refinery,” and added weather data.
Eutelsat to buy two all-electric satellites from Airbus to replace Hotbird constellation
Eutelsat will replace a trio of satellites with two larger all-electric satellites from Airbus Defence and Space, company officials said Wednesday.
Telesat picks Airbus Defence and Space as second constellation design partner
Telesat awarded a second constellation design contract Aug. 1, choosing Airbus Defence and Space to begin studies on the company’s proposed system of 117 low Earth orbit communications satellites.
SN Military.Space | AI race moves to space • China’s heavy rockets a concern for U.S. • Soldiers learn to operate satellites
Using free data from the European Space Agency, a startup in Finland created a geospatial information service that is entirely enabled by artificial intelligence.
ESA awards Mars sample return study contracts as international cooperation plans take shape
The European Space Agency awarded two contracts to Airbus to study elements of a Mars sample return approach as the outlines of international cooperation with NASA on that effort materialize.
With a new satellite factory in the U.S., Airbus eyes opportunities in military space
Airbus will be producing at least two 150-kilogram satellites per day at the Florida facility. Tim Deaver: “We’re confident we can get to 10 per week quickly."
Planet, Airbus start joint satellite-imagery product initiative
Planet and Airbus Defense and Space’s geospatial division have agreed to co-develop imagery products that leverage both companies’ satellites.
Startup with SoftBank, Airbus investment planning video constellation with several hundred satellites
A satellite startup that today announced SoftBank, Airbus, Bill Gates and OneWeb founder Greg Wyler as investors says it has plans to field a constellation of hundreds of satellites to provide global video of the Earth, but provided few details on how it will accomplish that goal.
ESA tasks Airbus with streamlining Copernicus data access
Airbus has signed a contract with the European Space Agency to develop a Copernicus Data and Information Access Services, orDIAS, platform that will make data from the Earth-monitoring constellation more accessible to users from about mid-2018.
Complex designs can slash the weight of spacecraft parts, but may carry hidden costs
By combining additive manufacturing with advanced processing power, companies now can print the optimal design for many spacecraft parts. However, more complex designs may carry hidden costs.
Largest all-electric satellite to date completes orbit-raising in record time
Eutelsat’s newest satellite reached its target position in the geostationary orbit this week only four months after its launch, setting an industry record for the fastest all electric orbit-raising.
