European Spaceflight
• Andrew Parsonson
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.
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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.
Portal Space Systems has signed a launch contract with SpaceX for a Falcon 9 mission in 2028, supporting the company’s Motus Via Sol demonstration mission. The flight will be the first mission for Portal’s Supernova spacecraft platform, marking a planned in-space demonstration of the system.
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Ariane 6 has reached geostationary orbit for the first time, launching the MTG-I2 satellite in a milestone for Europe’s newest heavy-lift rocket. The mission demonstrates Ariane 6’s capability for GEO deployments and advances Europe’s Meteosat Third Generation weather-satellite program.
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The White House has issued a new U.S. National Space Transportation Policy, superseding policies released in 2004 and 2013. The update establishes a revised framework for U.S. space transportation and could shape how international partners, launch providers and regulators interpret America’s role in the sector.
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Constellr ordered two Space Inventor microsatellites for a 2028 thermal-imaging expansion, while Kongsberg plans to double its N3X maritime-surveillance constellation in 2027. Other reports highlight orbital spectrum monitoring, a Soyuz military launch from Plesetsk and strong demand for Rocket Lab’s Neutron vehicle.
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NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is entering the final phase of launch preparations at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, following its June arrival. Teams have completed several integration and rehearsal milestones ahead of the scheduled Aug. 30 liftoff, bringing the observatory closer to operations designed to expand space-based astronomical research.
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LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 achieved a first-stage soft landing on a recovery pad in China’s Gobi Desert following its second orbital flight, marking a major milestone for Chinese commercial rocketry. The booster subsequently toppled, but the landing demonstrates progress toward reusable orbital launch capability.
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China has delayed the Chang’e-7 robotic mission, which is designed to explore the lunar south pole and search for water ice. The postponement came hours before the planned launch from Hainan, with reports citing stormy weather and a safety and reliability assessment; no new target date was announced.
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