SpaceWatch Global
• Torsten Kriening
Planet Labs is expanding European Earth-observation production with a new Berlin facility for Pelican satellites and plans to launch its first German-built spacecraft on a German-built rocket in early 2027. The move highlights Europe’s push for greater space sovereignty, even as launch providers continue contracting with SpaceX.
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Planet Labs is expanding European Earth-observation production with a new Berlin facility for Pelican satellites and plans to launch its first German-built spacecraft on a German-built rocket in early 2027. The move highlights Europe’s push for greater space sovereignty, even as launch providers continue contracting with SpaceX.
The European Space Agency is advancing several initiatives to expand Europe’s presence in low Earth orbit, from an access agreement with Axiom Space to Sateliot’s role in the IRIS² sovereign connectivity program. ESA is also studying dual-use Earth observation architectures and supporting direct-to-device connectivity developments.
Marble Imaging and msg Systems have signed a memorandum of understanding to combine Earth-observation data, artificial intelligence and secure IT infrastructure for European intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications. The partnership targets sovereign ISR capabilities built around European data, technology and infrastructure.
Northrop Grumman is targeting delivery of a space-domain awareness prototype satellite within 24 months, with high-quality imaging and more frequent characterization of geosynchronous-orbit objects. Separately, Terma will provide MDA Space with power and radio-frequency checkout equipment and central checkout systems for AURORA satellite production and testing.
The U.S. Space Force is exploring a fleet of satellites that could remain on standby, launch on short notice and maneuver close to other spacecraft for inspection. The effort points to a potential new layer of rapid-response capability for monitoring and assessing activity in orbit.
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