Space Policy & International Cooperation News

Ars Technica • Eric Berger

Unsecured 20‑ton service platform discovered ahead of Soyuz launch

An unsecured 20‑ton service platform was found at the launch complex shortly before a Soyuz crew launch, prompting immediate safety and oversight questions about Russia's crewed-launch operations and potential impacts to International Space Station access. Officials signalled increased scrutiny of launch‑site procedures.

2025-11-28T08:45:43.278733-08:00

Space Intel Report

ESA secures record €22.1bn at Bremen ministerial, delivering 99% of proposed €22.25bn

2025-11-27T03:42:31.985160-08:00

SpaceNews.com

ESA secures record €22bn ministerial package, but exploration programmes face funding shortfalls

2025-11-27T12:22:30.681208-08:00

Space.com

Soyuz MS-28 launches from Baikonur with NASA's Chris Williams and two Russian cosmonauts for eight-month ISS mission

2025-11-27T01:42:52.684380-08:00

Space Policy & International Cooperation News Timeline

Ars Technica

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Unsecured 20‑ton service platform discovered ahead of Soyuz launch An unsecured 20‑ton service platform was found at the launch complex shortly before a Soyuz crew launch, prompting immediate safety and oversight questions about Russia's crewed-launch operations and potential impacts to International Space Station access. Officials signalled increased scrutiny of launch‑site procedures.

2025-11-28T08:45:43.278733-08:00

Unsecured 20‑ton service platform discovered ahead of Soyuz launch

Space Intel Report

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Germany Eyes Rival to EU’s Iris2 as It Pledges Major ESA Funding at Ministerial At the ESA ministerial in Bremen, Germany signalled plans to back a potential national rival to the European Commission’s Iris2 multi-orbit secure connectivity programme and pledged significant funding to ESA, reflecting Berlin’s impatience with current EU approaches to sovereign communications and defence capabilities.

2025-11-28T06:53:50.165527-08:00

Germany Eyes Rival to EU’s Iris2 as It Pledges Major ESA Funding at Ministerial

European Spaceflight

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ESA backs two ISS cargo-return demos and signs on as anchor customer for commercial LEO return service The European Space Agency will fund two demonstration missions to return cargo from the International Space Station and has agreed to be an anchor customer for a future commercial low‑Earth‑orbit cargo‑return service, providing institutional demand to validate commercial payload‑return capabilities from LEO.

2025-11-28T06:23:59.224213-08:00

ESA backs two ISS cargo-return demos and signs on as anchor customer for commercial LEO return service

air-cosmos.com

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ArianeGroup completes maiden flight of France’s SyLEx sounding rocket ArianeGroup completed the maiden flight of SyLEx (Système de Lancement d’Expériences), a sounding rocket developed for France’s DGA since 2021. Launched from the Biscarosse missile test range on 28 November, SyLEx provides a sovereign suborbital test capability for civil experiments, including supersonic technology trials.

2025-11-28T03:10:08.354146-08:00

ArianeGroup completes maiden flight of France’s SyLEx sounding rocket

Soyuz MS-28 damages Baikonur crewed‑launch pad, threatens Russia's ISS launch cadence A Soyuz MS-28 launch on Nov. 27, 2025 damaged the Baikonur crewed‑launch pad; footage shows the service gantry falling into an exhaust trench. The damage to Russia's sole operational site for Soyuz and Progress missions jeopardizes upcoming ISS crew rotations and cargo launch cadence.

2025-11-27T15:47:43.154752-08:00

Soyuz MS-28 damages Baikonur crewed‑launch pad, threatens Russia's ISS launch cadence

SpaceNews.com

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ESA secures record €22bn ministerial package, but exploration programmes face funding shortfalls ESA has secured a record €22 billion ministerial package through 2028, but member-state resistance and remaining budget gaps leave human and robotic exploration programmes — including a planned first European crewed lunar mission — exposed to timeline risk and capability shortfalls.

2025-11-27T12:22:30.681208-08:00

ESA secures record €22bn ministerial package, but exploration programmes face funding shortfalls

Space Intel Report

Eumetsat members approve full development of billion‑dollar EPS‑Sterna satellite constellation EUMETSAT's 30 member states have approved full development of the EPS‑Sterna polar satellite constellation, clearing administrative and budgeting hurdles for the billion‑dollar programme. The Bremen decision moves EPS‑Sterna from planning to implementation, unlocking procurement and schedule decisions for satellites, ground systems and launch services.

2025-11-27T10:00:43.714414-08:00

Eumetsat members approve full development of billion‑dollar EPS‑Sterna satellite constellation

Space.com

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NASA reaffirms support for Europe’s life-detection Mars rover despite proposed U.S. budget cuts NASA has provided written assurances it will support Europe’s life‑detection Mars rover program despite proposed U.S. budget cuts, a development European officials call "a very important step." The confirmations reduce near‑term program uncertainty while funding debates continue in Washington.

2025-11-27T07:07:53.428005-08:00

NASA reaffirms support for Europe’s life-detection Mars rover despite proposed U.S. budget cuts

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