Bloomberg
• Christopher Jungstedt
Europe’s first orbital launch from continental Europe is being framed as a step toward reducing the region’s reliance on American launch providers, including SpaceX. The milestone underscores Europe’s effort to build more independent access to space and strengthen its position in the launch market.
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation
Latest source-backed stories
Europe’s first orbital launch from continental Europe is being framed as a step toward reducing the region’s reliance on American launch providers, including SpaceX. The milestone underscores Europe’s effort to build more independent access to space and strengthen its position in the launch market.
ICEYE and Arianespace signed a memorandum of understanding to assess Ariane 6 launches for European government missions as ICEYE expands satellite production. The agreement could connect ICEYE’s growing manufacturing capacity with Europe’s sovereign launch capability for future government customers.
China is progressing development of the Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission, targeting dual Long March 5 launches in 2028 and the return of Martian dirt and rock to Earth in 2031. Sampling hardware and both spacecraft are reportedly under construction ahead of the ambitious campaign.
High activity
The Pentagon now expects to procure 337 national-security launch services, up from 151 in its 2022 baseline, as the U.S. military and intelligence community expand satellite deployments. The increase underscores rising demand for launch capacity while newer providers struggle to displace SpaceX’s dominant position.
High activity
France’s Kepplair Evolution has raised €6 million to develop an ATR 72-based firefighting aircraft, while Viraj Aero secured €4.5 million for a steam-injection propulsion concept targeting a 2027 prototype. In space, The Exploration Company raised $450 million, bringing its total funding to approximately $680 million.
German launch startup Isar Aerospace successfully carried payloads on the second flight of its Spectrum rocket, achieving Europe’s first successful commercial launch from the continent. The milestone marks a step forward for Europe’s independent launch capabilities and access to space from within the region.
The space industry welcomed a new Trump administration policy targeting 1,000 launches annually, but experts questioned whether current launch infrastructure can support that pace. Expanding capacity would require substantial investment, with unresolved questions over who would pay for the facilities and systems needed to reach the goal.
Pivotal Research initiated coverage of SpaceX with a buy rating, arguing the company can overcome Starship’s reusability bottleneck. The firm sees a successful solution potentially supporting Starlink’s expansion into part of the $1.7 trillion terrestrial and wireless communications market, while failure could leave SpaceX smaller than expected.
Create a free account to see more recent Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
