CNES
Thales Alenia Space Awarded CNES Contract for Ocean Altimetry Instrument
The company will build the next-generation radar altimeter for the billion-dollar U.S.-French Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission to launch in 2020.
Philae Comet Lander Reawakens, Phones Home
Europe’s Philae comet lander, which for unexplained reasons had been silent since June 24, reawakened July 9 for a nearly uninterrupted period of about 20 minutes, sending signals through the Rosetta orbiter, the French and German space agencies said July 10.
Unnecessary Timeout Pushes Jason-3 Launch to July or August
The Jason-3 satellite will be shipped to Vandenberg June 18, in time for a late-July/early-August launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 following a nine-day delay that turned out to have been unnecessary.
Airbus Safran’s Ariane 6 Bid is In but CNES Buyout is Unresolved
Airbus Safran Launchers has submitted its formal bid to design and build the Ariane 6 rocket, a contract to be valued at around 3.2 billion euros that the European Space Agency hopes to sign by the end of June.
France, UAE Sign Cooperative Space Accord
The United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) concluded a cooperation accord with the French space agency, CNES, which includes joint work on the UAE’s planned 2020 launch of a probe to Mars, the two agencies announced.
CNES Gives All-Electric Satellite Research a $30 Million Jolt with More To Come
The principal beneficiaries of the government program have been France’s two main satellite prime contractors, Airbus Defence and Space, and Thales Alenia Space.
Europe’s Latest Space Technology Stimulus Left Contractors Cold
European space hardware builders and some individual European governments are pressuring the European Commission to revamp the way it does space research and technology as it prepares a seven-year program with the promise of 1.4 billion euros in available cash.
French Space Agency To Focus on Climate Science in 2015
After European ministers finalized plans for future launch vehicles in 2014, CNES plans to focus in 2015 on climate science in advance of a major climate change conference in Paris late in the year.
Thales Alenia Space Nabs $94 Million Contract for U.S.-French Ocean Topography Satellite
CNES signed the first of a planned three contracts for the U.S.-French Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, a mission in which the two governments plan to invest some $1.1 billion for a launch in 2020.
With Eye on SpaceX, CNES Begins Work on Reusable Rocket Stage
CNES said it has begun a small technology research program with Germany and other governments to develop a future liquid oxygen/methane-powered rocket stage that would be reusable.
CNES Partners with Google on Internet Balloon Project
CNES officials said early tests of the Loon project persuaded the agency that the Google idea, while “appearing crazy,” was feasible and merited a closer look.
