OHB
Airbus, Thales win second-generation Galileo satellite contracts
The European Commission announced Jan. 20 it will award contracts to Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space to build an initial set of next-generation Galileo navigation satellites, shutting out incumbent manufacturer OHB.
Rocket Lab launches secretive communications satellite for OHB
Rocket Lab successfully launched a communications satellite for German company OHB Group Jan. 20 in the first Electron mission of the year.
Virgin Orbit, Rocket Lab schedule first launches of 2021
Virgin Orbit has rescheduled its second orbital launch attempt for Jan. 10 as another small launch vehicle company, Rocket Lab, announces plans for its first launch of 2021.
ESA signs a trio of Copernicus contracts worth 1.3 billion euros
The European Space Agency (ESA) signed contracts for three pairs of satellites for the agency's Earth-observing Copernicus program on Nov. 13 with a total award value of more than 1.3 billion euros ($1.54 billion).
German startup Rocket Factory Augsburg picks Norway for maiden flight of RFA One smallsat launcher
German startup Rocket Factory Augsburg has selected the Norwegian launch facility Andøya Spaceport for a 2022 maiden flight of the company’s RFA One small-satellite launch vehicle.
ESA sets stage for three-way competition to build next-generation Galileo constellation
The ESA-led competition, arranged on behalf of the European Commission, pits rising German manufacturer OHB against European heavyweights Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defense and Space.
Eumetsat shifts two tardy satellites to Ariane 6
Program delays have forced Eumetsat to reserve a pair of Ariane 6 rockets for two European weather satellites originally anticipated to launch on Ariane 5 rockets.
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.
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.
OHB and IAI plan commercial lunar lander mission in late 2022
German space company OHB is moving ahead with plans to launch a commercial lunar lander mission in cooperation with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in late 2022 as it looks for government and commercial customers.
Space should fare better against coronavirus than other industries, report says
“While by no means immune from the broader economic downdraft, we nonetheless expect the Satellite & Space industry to fare somewhat better from a demand perspective than the economy-at-large,” the report said.
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.
Space hardware manufacturers urge realistic expectations for 3D printing
Space hardware builders say they fully expect 3D printing to revolutionize manufacturing, but cautioned that the technology is sometimes promoted without a full understanding of its pros and cons.
OHB defends self-funded launcher effort
OHB hopes to have a small launcher capable of sending 200 kilograms to low Earth orbit conduct a first flight by the end of 2021.
