Payload
• Douglas Gorman
At the first International Space Summit in Paris, the European Commission proposed directing roughly €65.5 billion—half of its planned 2028-34 defense and space budget—to space programs. European leaders also emphasized military-space cooperation, launch aggregation and initiatives including a European Space Shield.
Space Policy & International Cooperation
Latest source-backed stories
China’s telecommunications regulator has issued a roadmap for expanding the country’s satellite network through the end of the decade, building on a national five-year plan released in March. The plan signals continued government direction for satellite communications and related space infrastructure.
Antares has secured a $161 million Department of Defense contract to advance nuclear power for space, marking the largest DoD award to date for the technology. The award underscores growing U.S. investment in space-based nuclear power capabilities.
High activity
The European Space Agency has signed an agreement with U.S. commercial space company Vast to implement an astronaut mission to the International Space Station for Greece. The agreement advances European participation in commercial human spaceflight as France calls for greater strategic autonomy in space.
High activity
At the first International Space Summit in Paris, the European Commission proposed directing roughly €65.5 billion—half of its planned 2028-34 defense and space budget—to space programs. European leaders also emphasized military-space cooperation, launch aggregation and initiatives including a European Space Shield.
High activity
European partners will move forward without NASA on a Venus mission after the agency withdrew its planned radar instrument, highlighting the potential impact of shifting U.S. space partnerships. The decision could push Europe toward greater independence in planetary science while increasing the significance of alternative international partners, including China.
A €3 billion raise by Mistral, Isar Aerospace’s first orbital success, Eutelsat’s expanded LEO data-downlink partnership with Skynopy and Aerospacelab’s €2.4 billion IRIS² satellite contract underscore Europe’s push to control critical AI, launch, connectivity and secure-communications infrastructure.
High activity
Amazon Leo has expanded its Arianespace partnership to 24 contracted Ariane 6 launches, while the European Launcher Challenge awards €544 million to three rocket developers. An ICEYE-Arianespace agreement and proposed Airbus-Leonardo-Thales satellite merger plans further underscore Europe’s push for independent space access and industrial scale.
Eutelsat will expand and replenish its OneWeb low Earth orbit constellation through 2034 under a deal with Airbus worth about €1 billion. Separately, the UK acknowledged nearly $40 million in spending on SpaceX’s Starshield, becoming the first country outside the US to publicly confirm its use for military and intelligence missions.
Create a free account to see more recent Space Policy & International Cooperation stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
