Via Satellite
• Rachel Jewett
The European Space Agency has contracted Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space to build two satellites each for Europe’s Galileo positioning and timing network. The awards add four spacecraft to the system’s planned capacity, with both European suppliers sharing the work.
ESA
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The European Space Agency has contracted Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space to build two satellites each for Europe’s Galileo positioning and timing network. The awards add four spacecraft to the system’s planned capacity, with both European suppliers sharing the work.
The European Space Agency, acting for the EU Agency for the Space Programme under European Commission delegation, awarded Airbus a contract for two additional second-generation Galileo spacecraft. The order brings Airbus’s total for the European navigation program to eight satellites; the new satellites are described as having stronger anti-jamming protection.
The European Space Agency’s INVICTUS hypersonic aircraft program has passed its first major review, marking a milestone in the program’s development. The next review is expected in October 2027; the available report does not specify further technical findings or schedule details.
The European Defence Fund has selected French on-orbit transportation startup OSMOS X to lead a coalition examining how European countries can respond to threats in orbit. The article does not specify the consortium’s membership, funding or timetable, but places orbital security and coordinated national response at the center of the study.
The European Space Agency, acting for the European Commission, has contracted Airbus and Thales Alenia Space to build two additional Galileo Second Generation satellites each. The four additions extend existing contracts, bringing the planned G2 fleet to 16; the first 12 were ordered in 2021, with launches scheduled to begin in 2028.
High activity
NASA said the designs and flight plans for its two commercial crewed Moon landers have changed as the agency works toward a 2028 landing. The agency will decide which provider lands astronauts first, according to a report, making the revised plans relevant to both providers’ development schedules.
High activity
Australia has submitted a counteroffer to the European Space Agency over the cost of sending astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg on a mission to the International Space Station. The proposed funding has drawn domestic criticism, with the government accused of haggling over the price of the historic mission.
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