ESA
ESA confirms Ariane 6 delay to 2021
Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket won’t launch until the second half of 2021, a delay of at least six months if not more, the European Space Agency confirmed July 9.
Thales Alenia Space wins lion’s share of newly awarded Copernicus contracts
Thales Alenia Space of France and Italy won the largest share of prime contracts the European Space Agency awarded July 1 for further development of six new Copernicus satellite missions.
Yahsat hires new CFO • Vega launch delayed to August • Tim Peake joins Skyrora advisory board
Arianespace announced early Wednesday that it has pushed back the small launch vehicle's upcoming mission, carrying 53 smallsats, until at least Aug. 17.
ESA selects prime contractors for six new Copernicus missions
The European Space Agency on July 1 awarded 2.5 billion euros in development contracts for six new Earth-observation missions under the Copernicus remote-sensing satellite program.
ESA starts search for next director general
The European Space Agency formally started the search for its next leader June 25, with the current head of the agency recommending it select a “dynamic young successor.”
Ariane 6 maiden flight likely slipping to 2021
The inaugural launch of Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket appears all but certain to slip into 2021 because of development delays the European Space Agency attributes to the coronavirus pandemic.
Avio seeking to compress Vega launch delays
Italian rocket builder Avio will keep a team of launch personnel in French Guiana from May through August in the hopes of completing three Vega launches this year, notwithstanding coronavirus-related slowdowns.
ESA restores operations of space science missions
ESA has restored operations of four space science missions it placed on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic, a move that illustrated how one agency’s actions can affect others.
NASA and ESA to fund coronavirus projects
NASA and ESA are separately soliciting proposals to either do research related to the coronavirus pandemic or to help provide relief services.
ESA puts four science missions on hold during pandemic
The European Space Agency announced March 24 it is suspending regular operations of four of its missions, including one recently launched spacecraft, to reduce staffing needs during the coronavirus pandemic.
OHB says coronavirus may delay satellite projects but won’t cost revenue
The slow-moving nature of spacecraft manufacturing will insulate OHB Systems, at least temporarily, from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a company executive.
NASA selects first science payloads for lunar Gateway
NASA announced March 12 it will fly two heliophysics and space weather experiments on the lunar Gateway to collect data to help future human missions to the moon and beyond.
ExoMars rover mission delayed to late 2022
The ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission has been delayed to 2022 due to a lack of time to qualify hardware vital to the spacecraft.
Coronavirus epidemic having limited effect so far on space industry
The ongoing coronavirus epidemic is having a limited but growing effect on the space industry, as some companies and organizations rethink plans for events.
ExoMars parachute tests delayed, mission faces review
The European and Russian space agencies have delayed crucial ExoMars 2020 parachute tests to late March, with the mission also set to undergo review.
ESA head Woerner confirms plans not to seek another term
The head of the European Space Agency formally announced Feb. 28 he will leave ESA when his current term ends next year, confirming months of speculation about his future with the agency.
