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Ars Technica • Stephen Clark

NASA selects SpaceX Falcon Heavy for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover launch in 2028; ROSA implementation begins

NASA has approved the agency’s Rosalind Franklin Support and Augmentation (ROSA) project to begin implementation and selected SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy to launch the ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars rover in 2028. The mission is also tied to Europe’s ExoMars revival effort, with the rover moving onto its fourth rocket ride.

2026-04-16T20:29:50.516542-07:00

SpaceWatch Global

ESA and Portugal back Rocket Factory Augsburg’s RFA ONE microlauncher with further milestone support

2026-04-16T23:27:39.842071-07:00

SpaceWatch Global

Opinion: Europe risks ceding lunar strategy in Artemis—will it become a space power or stay a subcontractor?

2026-04-16T05:35:43.375007-07:00

SpaceWatch Global

LiveEO lands ESA InCubed funding to advance its Twinspector Earth-observation constellation

2026-04-14T23:34:53.740054-07:00

News Timeline

SpaceWatch Global

ESA and Portugal back Rocket Factory Augsburg’s RFA ONE microlauncher with further milestone support Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) says it has secured additional support from the European Space Agency and Portugal for its RFA ONE microlauncher. The announcement follows continued test activity for the launcher, as the company pursues lower-cost, frequent access to low-Earth orbit for small satellites.

2026-04-16T23:27:39.842071-07:00

ESA and Portugal back Rocket Factory Augsburg’s RFA ONE microlauncher with further milestone support

Ars Technica

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NASA selects SpaceX Falcon Heavy for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover launch in 2028; ROSA implementation begins NASA has approved the agency’s Rosalind Franklin Support and Augmentation (ROSA) project to begin implementation and selected SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy to launch the ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars rover in 2028. The mission is also tied to Europe’s ExoMars revival effort, with the rover moving onto its fourth rocket ride.

2026-04-16T20:29:50.516542-07:00

NASA selects SpaceX Falcon Heavy for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover launch in 2028; ROSA implementation begins

SpaceWatch Global

Opinion: Europe risks ceding lunar strategy in Artemis—will it become a space power or stay a subcontractor? A #SpaceWatchGl op-ed argues the U.S. is advancing Artemis “alone,” with European hardware participation that may not translate into European influence over lunar mission strategy. It frames Europe’s decision as a binary: remain a subcontractor—or build independent space-power capabilities.

2026-04-16T05:35:43.375007-07:00

Opinion: Europe risks ceding lunar strategy in Artemis—will it become a space power or stay a subcontractor?

SpaceWatch Global

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LiveEO lands ESA InCubed funding to advance its Twinspector Earth-observation constellation LiveEO has secured funding through the European Space Agency (ESA) InCubed program to support the next development phase of its Twinspector constellation. The award underlines how ESA incubation mechanisms are being used to move Earth-observation constellations from concept and early build toward operational readiness.

2026-04-14T23:34:53.740054-07:00

LiveEO lands ESA InCubed funding to advance its Twinspector Earth-observation constellation

Aviation Week

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Kepler Communications wins $30.1M ESA prime to lead HydRON hosted-payload tests for optical terminal interoperability ESA has selected Canadian smallsat operator Kepler Communications to lead a hosted payload mission under HydRON, the agency’s optical “fiber in the sky” relay network. The prime contract is worth $30.1M (HydRON Element 3) and will test terminal interoperability to enable faster, more secure laser communications across orbital planes.

2026-04-14T16:53:23.631178-07:00

Kepler Communications wins $30.1M ESA prime to lead HydRON hosted-payload tests for optical terminal interoperability

FlightGlobal

Italy moves to replace Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani with Lorenzo Mariani; vote set for 7 May Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance has proposed that Leonardo’s co-general manager Lorenzo Mariani replace outgoing CEO Roberto Cingolani after the end of his three-year term. The proposals will be put to a shareholder vote at a 7 May meeting.

2026-04-14T09:23:37.440806-07:00

Italy moves to replace Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani with Lorenzo Mariani; vote set for 7 May

European Spaceflight

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ESA expands Crew Launch Abort Demonstrator scope and budget, using Ariane 6 as baseline launcher The European Space Agency has published additional details on its Crew Launch Abort Demonstrator, defining project scope and budget while selecting Ariane 6 as the baseline launch vehicle. The update clarifies how ESA plans to validate abort-related capabilities ahead of future crewed missions.

2026-04-13T03:58:15.873485-07:00

ESA expands Crew Launch Abort Demonstrator scope and budget, using Ariane 6 as baseline launcher

European Spaceflight

ESA Publishes New Details on Crew Launch Abort Demonstrator

2026-04-13T03:58:15.873485-07:00

ESA Publishes New Details on C

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ESA News

NASA selects SpaceX Falcon Heavy for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover launch in 2028; ROSA implementation begins

ESA and Portugal back Rocket Factory Augsburg’s RFA ONE microlauncher with further milestone support

Opinion: Europe risks ceding lunar strategy in Artemis—will it become a space power or stay a subcontractor?

LiveEO lands ESA InCubed funding to advance its Twinspector Earth-observation constellation

News Timeline