Airbus
Earth observation companies plan new satellites and seek new customers
As operators of Earth observation satellites prepare to update their fleets, with an emphasis on both improved resolution and revisit time, they disagree on how much demand there is for existing and new data.
OneWeb Satellites inaugurates Florida factory
OneWeb Satellites, the joint venture of Airbus and OneWeb, formally opened its Florida factory that will soon be producing satellites for OneWeb’s constellation at the rate of two per day.
Airbus to build four imaging satellites for French space agency, mulls 20-plus constellation
Airbus and the French Space Agency CNES have agreed to cofinance a constellation of four Earth observation satellites while leaving the door open for Airbus to finance additional satellites with other partners.
2019 IAA Planetary Defense Conference
The International Academy of Astronautics will hold its 6th conference from April 29 to May 3rd, 2019 in the USA. The bi-annual conference brings together world experts to discuss the threat to Earth posed by asteroids and comets and actions that…
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.
