Space.com
• Elizabeth Howell, Tariq Malik
The European satellite spent four years in orbit measuring Earth’s gravity field before falling back to Earth on Nov. 10, 2013. Its mission made gravity mapping the central purpose of a dedicated spacecraft, earning GOCE the nickname “Ferrari of space.”
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Europe
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The European satellite spent four years in orbit measuring Earth’s gravity field before falling back to Earth on Nov. 10, 2013. Its mission made gravity mapping the central purpose of a dedicated spacecraft, earning GOCE the nickname “Ferrari of space.”
Slovak airline AirExplore has ceased operations, according to the report. The article does not specify when services stopped, the reason for the shutdown, or the scale of any impact on employees, customers, or partner airlines.
The UK is addressing corrosion affecting its F-35B fleet as it works to recover readiness after a major deployment last year. A short-notice commitment to bolster Middle East defenses added pressure, while officials say targets for improving fleet resilience have advanced.
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Spanish airline AlbaStar has ceased operations and is considering an insolvency procedure. The available reports provide no details on the timing of any filing, the company’s liabilities or the status of its fleet and employees.
The Czech manufacturer said Serbia has not yet signed a contract for six L-39NG Skyfox advanced trainers, days after Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said the aircraft had been sold. A German report said the jets would support training for future Serbian Rafale pilots; no delivery date has been given.
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Germany’s DLR plans to buy 80 Red Kite solid rocket motors from Bayern-Chemie to support future sounding rocket missions. The articles do not specify the contract value, delivery schedule or missions the motors will support.
Germany’s defense minister says the Future Combat Air System began with too much ideology and too little focus on contracts. As France proceeds alone, Berlin is weighing whether to join the rival Global Combat Air Programme, putting the future shape of European combat-air collaboration in question.
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