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• Elsa Ohlen
Amazon Leo has expanded its Arianespace partnership to 24 contracted Ariane 6 launches, while the European Launcher Challenge awards €544 million to three rocket developers. An ICEYE-Arianespace agreement and proposed Airbus-Leonardo-Thales satellite merger plans further underscore Europe’s push for independent space access and industrial scale.
European Spaceflight
ESA
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Amazon Leo has expanded its Arianespace partnership to 24 contracted Ariane 6 launches, while the European Launcher Challenge awards €544 million to three rocket developers. An ICEYE-Arianespace agreement and proposed Airbus-Leonardo-Thales satellite merger plans further underscore Europe’s push for independent space access and industrial scale.
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The Exploration Company has reserved an Ariane 6 flight for the Nyx demonstration mission through the European Space Agency’s ALADDIN cargo program. The booking links the company’s in-space transportation vehicle to Europe’s institutional launch framework and adds a commercial cargo mission to Ariane 6’s manifest.
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The Exploration Company won an ESA contract worth up to €760 million for a 2028 Nyx demonstration mission to the ISS, while Eutelsat advanced GEO life extension and IRIS² manufacturing plans. NewOrbit also secured a Q3 2028 launch slot for commercial payloads in very low Earth orbit.
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Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover are expected to move to NASA’s emeritus astronaut status after the April 2026 lunar mission, ending their status as active flight candidates. Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen is also planning new journeys after the mission.
After an eight-year journey to the innermost planet, the BepiColombo spacecraft has separated from its propulsion stage and entered the final phase of its mission. The European-Japanese probe will now prepare for orbital insertion at Mercury, a critical milestone in its long-delayed arrival sequence.
The European Space Agency has opened a call to establish a pilot plant producing European-manufactured americium-241 radioisotope heater units. The devices convert radioactive decay into heat, enabling spacecraft components to remain operational in cold environments during future exploration missions.
The International Space Summit in Paris on 9–10 September will bring together governments, industry leaders and astronauts to debate Europe’s position in the next phase of space exploration. The absence of SpaceX and Blue Origin highlights the summit’s focus on Europe’s industrial ambitions and geopolitical challenges.
ST Engineering iDirect demonstrated a pilot version of its INT3000 user equipment modem at the European Space Agency’s 5G NTN Forum. The multi-waveform 5G New Radio Non-Terrestrial Network device is intended to extend iDirect’s satellite networking technology into the broader 5G ecosystem, including aircraft connectivity applications.
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