Europe   ESA   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Space Policy & International Cooperation  
European Spaceflight • Andrew Parsonson

ESA offers €50m to steer LEO cargo-return demos onto European launchers

The European Space Agency will offer a €50 million incentive to support demonstration missions for its LEO Cargo Return Services initiative, contingent on using European rockets. The funding aims to attract commercial demonstrators and direct early demand to domestic launch providers.

2026-03-18T07:14:59.594116-07:00
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Commercial Space   Policy & Regulation  
Payload • Jacqueline Feldscher

FAA Ends Part 450 Transition Period; All U.S. Launchers Now Operating Under Current Licensing Rules

By Payload: The FAA announced Tuesday that US launchers had all transitioned to the five-year-old licensing requirements, leaving no one still operating under legacy regulations.

2026-03-18T05:00:34.160583-07:00
Satellite   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Commercial Space   Space Defense & Militarization   Asia-Pacific (APAC)  
Space Intel Report • Peter B de Selding

Kongsberg NanoAvionics secures multimillion-euro solar-array contract from Korea’s Flexell Space for Hanwha Systems constellation

By Space Intel Report: LA PLATA, Maryland — Satellite platform builder Kongsberg NanoAvionics of Lithuania has signed a multimillion-dollar/euro contract….

Also: Payload, Satellite Evolution and SpaceWatch Africa
2026-03-18T05:40:57.977788-07:00
China   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Space Defense & Militarization  
SpaceNews.com • Andrew Jones

China selects near‑Earth asteroid target for December 2027 kinetic deflection test

By SpaceNews.com: China signals new target for 2027 asteroid deflection test China has identified a new target near-Earth asteroid for its first planetary defense kinetic test mission, which is scheduled to launch in December 2027.

2026-03-18T05:52:22.600459-07:00