Reuters
• Maria Rugamer
The European Space Agency has awarded an initial €543.6 million in contracts to Isar Aerospace, PLD Space and Rocket Factory Augsburg under its European Launcher Challenge, supporting greater launcher diversity. All three startups had previously targeted inaugural orbital flights in 2026; a MaiaSpace contract is expected to follow.
ESA
Latest source-backed stories
High activity
The European Space Agency has awarded an initial €543.6 million in contracts to Isar Aerospace, PLD Space and Rocket Factory Augsburg under its European Launcher Challenge, supporting greater launcher diversity. All three startups had previously targeted inaugural orbital flights in 2026; a MaiaSpace contract is expected to follow.
High activity
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot completed a follow-up spacewalk on Aug. 25, successfully installing a replacement Space-to-Ground Antenna that had failed aboard the International Space Station. The operation followed their earlier removal of the faulty unit and was intended to restore communications capability.
High activity
The Meteosat Third Generation Imager-2 is encapsulated inside an Ariane 6 fairing at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana for a planned Aug. 27 launch. NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has reached SpaceX’s Launch Complex 39A ahead of its targeted Aug. 30 launch from Florida.
High activity
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot completed a 6.5-hour spacewalk on Aug. 25, installing a replacement Space-to-Ground antenna outside the International Space Station. The task followed their Aug. 18 removal of a faulty antenna and concluded with the spacewalkers returning inside at 2:57 p.m. EDT.
High activity
The European Space Agency’s Draco reentry mission has completed its Critical Design Review, a major program milestone that authorizes the transition to manufacturing and testing. The mission remains scheduled for launch in 2027, advancing ESA’s work on controlled atmospheric reentry and spacecraft recovery technologies.
High activity
ESA is planning modifications to Ariane 6 to support future Argonaut lunar missions carrying radioisotope power systems. The adaptations would enable the launcher to accommodate missions with nuclear power sources, linking Europe’s heavy-lift launch capability to longer-duration lunar exploration objectives.
France’s CNES is seeking an industrial partner to develop and qualify a compact, low-cost optical telescope designed for mass production. The effort points to a focus on reducing unit costs and industrializing optical payload manufacturing for future satellite and space applications.
High activity
ESA has confirmed that the proposed Ariane 6 Block 3 evolution, including the lightweight ICARUS upper stage, has been shelved. The decision removes a planned pathway for upgrading Europe’s heavy-lift launcher, with implications for future Ariane 6 performance and development priorities.
Create a free account to see more recent ESA stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
