Artykuły o European space program

[Orionid]

Arianespace looks to transitions of vehicles and business in 2022
by Jeff Foust — January 7, 2022 [SN]


Arianespace finished 2021 with 15 launches, including the Dec. 25 launch of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope on an Ariane 5. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace

WASHINGTON — After its most active year in two decades capped by the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope for NASA, Arianespace is heading into a period of transition in 2022 marked by the introduction of new vehicles and a changing mix of customers.

At a press briefing Jan. 6, Stéphane Israël, chief executive of Arianespace, celebrated the company’s accomplishments in 2021, including 15 launches of Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega rockets. That was the most missions in one year for the company since 2000, when Arianespace conducted 16 launches of Ariane 4, Ariane 5 and Soyuz rockets.
https://spacenews.com/arianespace-looks-to-transitions-of-vehicles-and-business-in-2022/

Mission Space signs on with EnduroSat to launch space weather instruments
by Debra Werner — January 20, 2022 [SN]


Mission Space executives from left: Artem Axelrod, Ksenia Moskalenko, Alex Pospekhov and Dmitry Axelrod.

SAN FRANCISCO — Mission Space, a Latvian startup focused on space weather monitoring, announced an agreement Jan. 20 to launch a set of high energy particle detectors later this year on a cubesat manufactured by Bulgarian startup EnduroSat.

“We tested our detectors in the stratosphere last year,” Ksenia Moskalenko, Mission Space CEO and co-founder, told SpaceNews by email. “This flight will help us enhance our ground models with our own proprietary data and enable new risk-assessment features in our software cloud.”
https://spacenews.com/mission-space-to-fly-with-endurosat/

ESA looks to space summit to endorse human spaceflight efforts

Space Norway restores redundancy for Svalbard ground stations
by Jason Rainbow — January 21, 2022 [SN]


KSAT said redundancy to Svalbard ground stations is now available in standby mode. Credit: Reuben Wu/Raytheon

TAMPA, Fla. — Space Norway has restored communications on an undersea fiber-optic cable it operates between its Svalbard satellite station and mainland Norway, which had left the Arctic region without a backup connection after failing Jan. 7.

A shunt failure caused a loss of power to signal repeaters on one of two cables that connect the Arctic region, state-run Space Norway said Jan. 19.
https://spacenews.com/space-norway-restores-redundancy-for-svalbard-ground-stations/

Isar Aerospace wins 10 million euro European Commission launch competition
by Jeff Foust — January 25, 2022 [SN]


Isar Aerospace will use the 10 million euros from the European Union competition to support work on Spectrum, its small launch vehicle scheduled to make its first launch in late 2022 or early 2023. Credit: Isar Aerospace

WASHINGTON — Isar Aerospace won 10 million euros ($11.3 million) in a European Union prize competition, the latest sign of the E.U.’s growing role in supporting Europe’s launch industry.

During the 14th European Space Conference in Brussels Jan. 25, Thierry Breton, the E.U. commissioner whose portfolio includes space, announced that Munich-based Isar Aerospace won the European Innovation Council Horizon Prize for low-cost space launch. Isar is developing a small launch vehicle called Spectrum whose first launch is slated for no earlier than late 2022.
https://spacenews.com/isar-aerospace-wins-10-million-euro-european-commission-launch-competition/

After a successful 2021, Avio is looking forward to the future
by Giulio Ranzo, CEO of Avio — January 25, 2022 Sponsored Post [SN]



Space-based services and applications are increasingly important in our daily life, for the economy, the environment, the resources’ management and for our security. In 2011, the United States National Security Space Strategy defined space as “a domain that no nation owns but on which all rely, [which] is becoming increasingly congested, contested, and competitive”.
https://spacenews.com/after-a-successful-2021-avio-is-looking-forward-to-the-future/

Europe ready to unveil sovereign broadband constellation plan
by Jason Rainbow — January 26, 2022 [SN]


E.U. Commissioner Thierry Breton addresses the 14th European Space Conference. © European Union, 2022

TAMPA, Fla. — The European Commission will unveil the architecture for its proposed satellite broadband constellation “in a few weeks,” the European Union commissioner in charge of space policy said Jan. 25.

Thierry Breton told the 14th European Space Conference in Brussels that he will also present a legislative proposal for the project in the coming weeks, which would enable Europe to start searching for partners to create the sovereign multi-orbit network.
https://spacenews.com/europe-ready-to-unveil-sovereign-broadband-constellation-plan/

D-Orbit valued at $1.28 billion in SPAC deal
by Debra Werner — January 27, 2022 [SN]


D-Orbit offers in-space transportation services with its ION satellite carrier. Credit: D-Orbit

SAN FRANCISCO – D-Orbit announced plans Jan. 27 to go public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company in a deal that values the Italian in-space transportation and logistics firm at $1.28 billion.

Through the merger with Breeze Holdings Acquisition Corp., D-Orbit expects to raise $185 million, funds it will use to expand its staff and accelerate investments in products and services including its In-Orbit Now (ION) Satellite Carrier.
https://spacenews.com/d-orbit-space-deal/

Europe launches fund to invest in space startups
by Jeff Foust — January 31, 2022 [SN]


E.U. commissioner Thierry Breton, European Investment Bank Vice President Kris Peeters and European Investment Fund CEO Alain Godard sign an agreement Jan. 25 regarding the Cassini fund to invest in European space startups. Credit: European Commission

WASHINGTON — The European Commission is rolling out a new program to offer investment for European startups to keep those companies on the continent.

Officials from the European Commission, European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund announced Jan. 25 they were committing at least one billion euros ($1.12 billion) over five years to Cassini, a program that will provide early-stage funding for European space companies.
https://spacenews.com/europe-launches-fund-to-invest-in-space-startups/

U.K. announces $2 billion in new funding for military space programs
by Sandra Erwin — February 1, 2022 [SN]


The U.K. Royal Air Force Fylingdales radar base monitors ballistic missile launches and space objects. It is part of the United States Space Surveillance Network. Credit: MoD

The new space strategy emphasizes the role of the U.K.’s private space industry in developing capabilities for the military and fueling economic growth

WASHINGTON — The United Kingdom released a new military space strategy Feb. 1 and announced plans to invest $1.9 billion in low Earth orbit satellites and other technologies over the next decade.

“This significant investment will help to ensure the U.K. remains at the forefront of space innovation and one step ahead of our competitors,” Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said.
https://spacenews.com/u-k-announces-2-billion-in-new-funding-for-military-space-programs/

Iceye raises $136 million in Series D round
by Debra Werner — February 3, 2022 [SN]


Iceye continues to expand its constellation of small synthetic aperture radar satellites. Credit: Iceye

SAN FRANCISCO – Iceye raised $136 million in a Series D investment round led by Seraphim Space, a longstanding backer of the Finnish radar satellite operator.

Iceye has now raised a total of $304 million for its global operations focused on providing government and commercial customers with imagery and data drawn from its constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites.
https://spacenews.com/iceye-raises-136-million-in-series-d-round/

Sateliot raises 10 million euros in Series A round
by Debra Werner — February 9, 2022 [SN]


Sateliot CEO Jaume Sanpera discussed plans for the Spanish startup's internet-of-things constellation at the 2022 SmallSat Symposium. Credit: Sateliot

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Sateliot raised 10 million euros ($11.4 million) in a Series A investment round the Spanish internet-of-things startup conducted in two tranches.

Sateliot raised 6.5 million euros in the first tranche of deals completed in December. At the SmallSat Symposium here, Sateliot executives said they concluded the second tranche.
https://spacenews.com/sateliot-series-a/

Destinus raises $29 million for hypersonic plane
by Debra Werner — February 9, 2022 [SN]


Destinus flew Jungfrau, its car-sized prototype subsonic vehicle, in November at an airport near Munich. Credit: Destinus

SAN FRANCISCO – Destinus SA, the Swiss startup founded by serial entrepreneur Mikhail Kokorich, has raised 26.8 million Swiss francs ($29 million) for its campaign to offer hydrogen-powered supersonic flight.

Investors include Conny & Co, a Swiss investment company founded by angel investor Cornelius Boersch, Quiet Capital and Liquid2 Ventures of San Francisco, Boston-based One Way Ventures, Cathexis Ventures of Houston and Geneva-based Ace & Company.
https://spacenews.com/destinus-seed-round/

ESA to host flagship office to coordinate global climate models
by Jason Rainbow — February 10, 2022 [SN]


ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications facility in Harwell, U.K., first opened in 2009. It supports teams working in climate change, technology and science, in addition to telecommunications and business applications. Credit: ESA

TAMPA, Fla. — The European Space Agency announced plans Feb. 9 to host an international office to coordinate global climate modeling efforts for at least five years.

Starting in March, the office for the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), which is partly sponsored by the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization, will be hosted alongside ESA’s existing climate office in Harwell, U.K.
https://spacenews.com/esa-to-host-flagship-office-to-coordinate-global-climate-models/

European Union advances broadband constellation despite negative assessments
by Jeff Foust — February 16, 2022 [SN]


Thierry Breton, E.U. commissioner for the internal market, said Feb. 15 that the planned constellation was a "Galileo moment" for Europe. Credit: European Commission

WASHINGTON — The European Union is moving ahead with its proposed broadband constellation despite two negative internal assessments.

The E.U. formally introduced legislation Feb. 15 to establish a secure connectivity satellite constellation that would serve European governments and citizens. The introduction of what’s formally known as the Union Secure Connectivity Programme came a day before the European Space Summit in Toulouse, France, where member states of the E.U. and European Space Agency will meet to discuss priorities for both organizations.
https://spacenews.com/european-union-advances-broadband-constellation-despite-negative-assessments/

Aerospacelab raises 40 million euros in Series B round
by Debra Werner — February 16, 2022 [SN]


Aerospacelab, a European startup established in 2018, has 110 employees working in Belgium, Switzerland and France. Credit: Aerospacelab

SAN FRANCISCO – Aerospacelab raised 40 million euros ($45.5 million) in a funding round led by Airbus Ventures and XAnge, a European venture capital firm based in Paris and Munich.

Additional investors in the Belgian startup, which has raised 60 million euros since it was founded in 2018, include BNP Paribas Private Equity, Sambrinvest, a Belgian venture capital firm, and SRIW, the investment arm of Belgium’s Wallonia region.
https://spacenews.com/aerospacelab-series-b/

ESA to set up committee to study human space exploration options
by Jeff Foust — February 17, 2022 [SN]


French President Emmanuel Macron said at a Feb. 16 “space summit” meeting he wanted ESA to study options for a human space exploration program. Credit: ESA TV

WASHINGTON — The European Space Agency will establish a committee with representatives from both inside and outside the space industry to develop options for a European human space exploration program.

The creation of what ESA called a “high-level advisory group” was one of the major outcomes of a one-day “space summit” held in Toulouse, France, Feb. 16 that brought together representatives of member states of both ESA and the European Union to discuss future European space initiatives.
https://spacenews.com/esa-to-set-up-committee-to-study-human-space-exploration-options/

European Union lays out plan to bolster space traffic management capabilities
by Jeff Foust — February 20, 2022 [SN]


The European Union wants to improve Europe’s ability to track space objects and also develop new regulations for space traffic management. Credit: European Space Agency

WASHINGTON — The European Union is rolling out a new space traffic management initiative to build up its abilities in the field while working with both the United States and the United Nations.

The European Commission released Feb. 15 a “joint communication” outlining the E.U.’s approach to space traffic management (STM), calling for increasing E.U. abilities to track objects as well as help develop international regulations for responsible, safe operations in space.
https://spacenews.com/european-union-lays-out-plan-to-bolster-space-traffic-management-capabilities/

[Orionid]

Hispasat buys teleport operator to expand managed services business
by Jason Rainbow — March 23, 2022 [SN]


Hispasat's satellite control center. Credit: Hispasat

WASHINGTON — Spanish satellite operator Hispasat is open to more acquisitions that vertically integrate its business after buying managed services provider AXESS Networks, according to its CEO Miguel Panduro.

Hispasat said March 21 it has agreed to acquire AXESS Networks in a deal valuing the company at $96 million.
https://spacenews.com/hispasat-buys-teleport-operator-to-expand-managed-services-business/

Ukrainian launch startup Promin juggles research, territorial defense
by Jarosław Adamowski — March 23, 2022 [SN]


The Promin Aerospace team has been juggling rocket development with territorial defense duties since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began Feb. 24. Credit: SpaceNews photo illustration

WARSAW, Poland — The day after Russian missiles struck an airport near where Promin Aerospace has been developing a smallsat launcher, the startup’s 11 Dnipro-based engineers came into office.

During the day, they are working on the Kyiv-headquartered startup’s lightweight solid-fuel rocket. But after hours, Promin employees volunteer to protect their homes and families as territorial defense members and humanitarian aid coordinators.
https://spacenews.com/ukrainian-launch-startup-promin-juggles-research-territorial-defense/

Seeking space applications for quantum computers
by Debra Werner — April 5, 2022 [SN]


Quantum Brilliance delivered its first product, a quantum computer, to the government-funded Pawsey Supercomputing Centre in Western Australia last year. Credit: Quantum Brilliance

COLORADO SPRINGS – Quantum Brilliance, an Australian and German quantum computing startup, is eager to identify space-based applications for its technology.

“I’m here because I’m very keen to talk to lots of potential customers about feasibility studies,” Mark Mattingley-Scott, Quantum Brilliance managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, told SpaceNews at the Space Symposium. “We really want to go into space as soon as possible.”
https://spacenews.com/introducing-quantum-brilliance/

Avanti sheds $550 million of debt to free up growth plan
by Jason Rainbow — April 14, 2022 [SN]


A rendering of Avanti's Hylas-4 satellite that launched to GEO on an Ariane 5 rocket in 2018. Credit: Avanti

TAMPA, Fla. — British satellite operator Avanti said April 13 it has cut its $810 million debt pile by two-thirds after investors agreed to swap debt for equity.

Hedge funds Solus Alternative Asset Management and new investor HPS Investment Partners are now Avanti’s largest shareholders following a deal that reduced debt to $260 million.

Avanti said it is not changing its business activities, assets or executive team as part of the recapitalization.
https://spacenews.com/avanti-sheds-550-million-of-debt-to-free-up-growth-plan/

Halifax International raising funds to build imaging satellites for Ukraine
by Sandra Erwin — April 26, 2022 [SN]


Satellogic was selected by Halifax International to build satellites for Ukraine. Halifax International is trying to raise funds to pay for the constellation. Credit: @Satellogic

Satellogic would produce satellites for Ukraine under a Halifax International initiative

DENVER – Halifax International Security Forum, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., is trying to raise $10 million to build a constellation of imaging satellites for Ukraine.
https://spacenews.com/halifax-international-raising-funds-to-build-imaging-satellites-for-ukraine/

Wg obecnych planów, pierwszy start RN Ariane-5ECA+ w tym roku zaplanowano na 22 czerwca ( będzie to 113 z kolei start tej rakiety). Na GEO trafią dwa telekomunikacyjne satelity: malezyjski Measat-3d (powstał w zakładach Airbus Defence and Space) oraz GSAT-24 (zbudowany przez ISRO) należący do rządowego funduszu NewSpace India Limited.

First Ariane 5 of 2022 slated for June launch of Measat-3d and GSAT-24
by Park Si-soo — April 29, 2022 [SN]


Artist's concept of GSAT-24. Credit: NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)

SEOUL, South Korea — A pair of satellites from Malaysia and India are slated to launch in late June on the Ariane 5 rocket’s first flight of the year.

Arianespace announced the June 22 launch date this week. Liftoff from Europe’s Guiana Space Center spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, is targeted for an hour-and-forty-minute window that opens at 5:03 p.m. Eastern.
https://spacenews.com/first-ariane-5-of-2022-slated-for-june-launch-of-measat-3d-and-gsat-24/

Avio has successfully tested the new M10 liquid methane and liquid oxygen engine
by Avio — May 11, 2022 [SN]



Avio has successfully carried out the first test of the new M10 liquid oxygen-liquid/methane engine, the first of its kind to be successfully tested in Europe. The M10, which will be a new generation green engine, will provide 10 tons of thrust and it is manufactured with extensive use of additive layer manufacturing technologies (ALM).
https://spacenews.com/avio-has-successfully-tested-the-new-m10-liquid-methane-and-liquid-oxygen-engine/

Benchmark works with Space Forge to develop reusable engines
by Debra Werner — May 24, 2022 [SN]


Artist's rendering of Space Forge's ForgeStar satellites powered by Benchmark propulsion. Credit: Space Forge

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Benchmark Space Systems announced plans May 24 to produce engines in the United Kingdom and to work with U.K. startup Space Forge to develop reusable chemical propulsion systems.

Space Forge of Cardiff, Wales, intends to produce high-value materials in orbit to bring to Earth. Under the contract announced May 24, Benchmark will provide propulsion for ForgeStar-1, Space Forge’s first in-space manufacturing and return demonstration.
https://spacenews.com/benchmark-works-with-space-force-to-develop-reusable-engines/

Astrocast buying Hiber to boost funding and expansion plans
by Jason Rainbow — May 31, 2022 [SN]


Astrocast has said it will build 100 satellites in-house to keep a closer check on cost, development cycles, testing, and other aspects of manufacturing. Credit: Astrocast

TAMPA, Fla. — Cash-strapped smallsat operator Astrocast announced plans May 30 to buy Dutch connectivity solutions provider Hiber, which scrapped plans for its own constellation last year following failures on its initial satellites.

Switzerland-based Astrocast said the deal would give it spectrum in the Americas to enable its growing constellation for connecting Internet of Things (IoT) devices to operate globally.
https://spacenews.com/astrocast-buying-hiber-to-boost-funding-and-expansion-plans/

UK-launched rocket promises to transform microsatellite launch business
May 30, 2022 Clive Simpson [SFN]


A full scale-prototype of Orbex’s Prime launcher. Credit: Orbex

The first launch of the Orbex Prime ‘eco-rocket’ from a remote launch pad in the Highlands of Scotland is expected at the end of the year or in early 2023. A full-scale prototype of Prime, billed as the world’s most environmentally-friendly rocket, was unveiled to the public for the first time this month.

Orbex Prime, a joint venture between the UK and Denmark, is the first of a new generation of European launch vehicles designed to launch mircosatellites to orbit.

Unveiling a full-size replica May 11 represented a major step forward for the British rocket company as it prepares for the first ever vertical rocket launch to orbit from UK soil.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/05/30/uk-launched-rocket-promises-to-transform-microsatellite-launch-business/

Avio Q&A: Powering the growth trajectory
by Jason Rainbow — June 1, 2022 [SN]


The Vega C is slated to perform its maiden flight by the end of June. By 2025, Avio expects five Vega and 10 Ariane 6 rockets will be produced a year. Credit: Avio

TAMPA, Fla. — Italian rocket maker Avio is rushing to expand facilities to help Arianespace meet its share of a multibillion-dollar launch deal that Amazon announced in April, comprising up to 83 rockets for deploying its Project Kuiper broadband satellites.

The largest-ever commercial launch agreement includes 18 heavy-lift Ariane 6 rockets, which each use two or four of Avio’s P120 engines as strap-on boosters, depending on their configuration.
https://spacenews.com/avio-qa-powering-the-growth-trajectory/

Arianespace narrows Vega C and Ariane 6 maiden flight windows
by Park Si-soo — June 1, 2022 [SN]


Vivian Quenet, Arianespace’s managing director and head of sales for the Asia-Pacific region, speaks during a fireside chat at Asia Satellite Business Week in Singapore June 1. Credit: Euroconsult

SEOUL, South Korea — Arianespace plans to conduct the maiden flight of Vega C and Ariane 6 rockets in “the first week of July” and “towards the end of the year,” respectively, a senior executive said June 1.

Vivian Quenet, Arianespace’s managing director and head of sales for the Asia-Pacific region, announced the timetable during a fireside chat at Asia Satellite Business Week in Singapore.
https://spacenews.com/arianespace-narrows-vega-c-and-ariane-6-maiden-flight-windows/

Lockheed and ABL’s first UK vertical launch slips into 2023
by Jason Rainbow — June 2, 2022 [SN]


SaxaVord Spaceport plans to perform a site-wide dress rehearsal in July, which includes launching a small rocket from its Lamba Ness site in the northernmost part of Scotland’s Shetland Islands. Credit: SaxaVord Spaceport

TAMPA, Fla. — Lockheed Martin no longer expects its UK Pathfinder mission will fly this year, although it remains in the running to perform the first-ever vertical launch to orbit from British soil.

With British microlaunch startup Orbex targeting this year or early next for its maiden flight, the delay appears to pull Lockheed Martin and its launch partner ABL Space Systems behind in the race to perform the United Kingdom’s first vertical orbital launch.
https://spacenews.com/lockheed-and-abls-first-uk-vertical-launch-slips-into-2023/

European parliamentarian seeks to build up ties between U.S. and E.U. in space
by Jeff Foust — June 3, 2022 [SN]


Niklas Nienass (right) met with Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), chair of the House space subcommittee, as part of a visit to the United States to build up space policy ties between the U.S. and the European Union. Credit: Twitter @nnienass

WASHINGTON — A member of the European Parliament is touring the United States to help enhance space policy relationships while also promoting an effort to develop a European space law.

Niklas Nienass, a member of the European Parliament from Germany, met with officials in Washington this week, including at NASA, NOAA and the White House, before going on to Denver and Houston, stops that included meeting with Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), who chairs the space subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee, and touring the Johnson Space Center.
https://spacenews.com/european-parliamentarian-seeks-to-build-up-ties-between-u-s-and-e-u-in-space/

Inmarsat satellite tests signal for replacing lost UK navigation capability
by Jason Rainbow — June 8, 2022 [SN]


Inmarsat's London headquarters. Credit: Inmarsat.

TAMPA, Fla. — Inmarsat said June 8 it has started beaming a test navigation signal from an aging satellite to help the United Kingdom replace space-based capabilities it lost following Brexit.

The British satellite operator is leading a group of local companies that are developing an alternative to the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), which Europe uses to augment and improve GPS services in the region.
https://spacenews.com/inmarsat-satellite-tests-signal-for-replacing-lost-uk-navigation-capability/

Ariane 6 launch debut pushed into 2023
by Jason Rainbow — June 13, 2022 [SN]


Ariane 6's central core reached Europe's spaceport in French Guiana Jan. 18, after traveling by boat from Europe. Credit: ESA

TAMPA, Fla. — The maiden flight for Ariane 6 that had been slated toward the end of 2022 is now targeting next year, European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher said June 13.

Aschbacher said Ariane 6 is set to fly “some time” in 2023 during a BBC interview without giving a reason for the delay.

Just a few weeks ago, a senior executive for Arianespace said it was preparing to conduct the inaugural launch toward the end of 2022 from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
https://spacenews.com/ariane-6-launch-debut-pushed-into-2023/

Aerospacelab to build “megafactory” in Belgium
by Debra Werner — June 14, 2022 [SN]


Aerospacelab is starting construction of a new satellite "megafactory" in Belgium. Credit: Aerospacelab

SAN FRANCISCO – Belgian startup Aerospacelab announced plans June 14 to establish a new satellite “megafactory” large enough to produce 500 satellites annually.

Aerospacelab plans to operate two manufacturing plants in Belgium. The new plant will be located in Charleroi, roughly 40 kilometers from the company’s existing factory in Ottignies-Louvain-La-Neuve, which is designed to produce as many as 24 satellite per year.
https://spacenews.com/aerospacelab-factory-charleroi/

D-Orbit charts ambitious course for space logistics business
by Debra Werner — June 15, 2022 [SN]


D-Orbit offers in-space transportation services with its In-Orbit Now (ION) satellite carrier. Credit: D-Orbit

SAN FRANCISCO – Space logistics company D-Orbit announced a $2 million contract June 9 with the European Space Agency to upgrade production of its ION Satellite Carrier.

It was the latest win for the Italian firm with ambitious plans to offer a wide range of satellite services from active debris removal to space-based cloud computing.

Under the contract, ESA will fund D-Orbit’s campaign to improve the performance and reduce the cost of ION, the vehicle that transports cubesats and microsatellites from the point where a large rocket drops them off to their desired orbital destinations.
https://spacenews.com/d-orbit-ambitions/

Arianespace preps for first Ariane 5 launch of the year
June 21, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]


An Ariane 5 rocket on its launch pad Tuesday evening at the Guiana Space Center. Credit: Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/P. Piron

Two geostationary communications satellites for India’s space agency and a Malaysian company will rocket into orbit from the jungle of South America on Wednesday on a European-built Ariane 5 launcher.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/06/21/arianespace-preps-for-first-ariane-5-launch-of-the-year/

D-Orbit books Isar Aerospace launch for orbital transfer vehicle
by Jason Rainbow — June 22, 2022 [SN]


An artistic rendering of Isar Aerospace's two-stage Spectrum launch vehicle. Credit: Isar Aerospace

TAMPA, Fla. — Germany’s Isar Aerospace announced plans June 22 to launch an orbital transfer vehicle no earlier than 2023 for Italian space logistics company D-Orbit.
https://spacenews.com/d-orbit-books-isar-aerospace-launch-for-orbital-transfer-vehicle/

First Ariane 5 flight of 2022 launches two satellites for Asia-Pacific
by Jason Rainbow — June 23, 2022 [SN]


An Ariane 5 rocket successfully launched a pair of satellites to geostationary transfer orbit June 22. Credit: Arianespace

TAMPA, Fla. — Arianespace launched a pair of satellites aiming to improve broadband coverage in the Asia-Pacific region June 22 on the Ariane 5 rocket’s first flight of the year.

The rocket lifted off 5:50 p.m. Eastern from the Guiana Space Center spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, carrying Measat-3d for Malaysian operator Measat and GSAT-24 for India.

After successfully separating from Ariane 5, both satellites are due to use onboard propulsion to reach final positions in geostationary orbit.
https://spacenews.com/first-ariane-5-flight-of-2022-launches-two-satellites-for-asia-pacific/

Ariane 5 rocket deploys satellites for Malaysia and India
June 22, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]


A European Ariane 5 rocket lifts off from the Guiana Space Center with the MEASAT 3d and GSAT 24 satellites. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/JM Guillon

(...) “We are committed to driving Malaysia’s national communications vision forward,” said Yau Chyong Lim, MEASAT’s chief operating officer. “With MEASAT 3d, we will be better positioned to support the government’s target to achieve 100% internet access by 2025, by filling the broadband gap in locations without 4G, 5G or fiber coverage.” (...)
https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/06/22/ariane-5-rocket-deploys-satellites-for-malaysia-and-india/

[Orionid]

Ovzon needs to piggyback another Ariane 5 ride for late 2022 launch
by Jason Rainbow — June 28, 2022 [SN]


Ovzon-3 is being built by Maxar using a Legion-class bus. At 1,500 kilograms, Ovzon’s first custom-built satellite is small compared to traditional geostationary communications satellites. Credit: Maxar/Ovzon/Proventus AB

TAMPA, Fla. — Arianespace is looking to move Ovzon’s first satellite to another Ariane 5 after Eutelsat switched to a dedicated mission to launch sooner.

Arianespace had been preparing to launch the Swedish broadband service provider’s Ovzon-3 satellite with Eutelsat’s Konnect VHTS satellite.

Both satellites destined for geostationary orbit (GEO) have suffered pandemic-related production delays. However, Ovzon CEO Per Norén said Ovzon-3 is only expected to be ready for launch toward the end of this year.
https://spacenews.com/ovzon-needs-to-piggyback-another-ariane-5-ride-for-late-2022-launch/

Avio gets pandemic recovery funds to develop launchers for the 2030s
by Jason Rainbow — June 29, 2022 [SN]


ESA director of space transportation Daniel Neuenschwander (left) and Avio CEO Giulio Ranzo (right) signed the contracts in the presence of Vittorio Colao, Italy’s Innovation Minister. Credit: Avio

TAMPA, Fla. — Italian rocket maker Avio secured 340 million euros ($358 million) in government funding June 29 to develop launch vehicles for the next decade.

About two-thirds of the pandemic recovery stimulus funds from the Italian government will support a small, two-stage demonstration rocket that is slated to fly by 2026 with a new liquid oxygen and methane engine.
https://spacenews.com/avio-gets-pandemic-recovery-funds-to-develop-launchers-for-the-2030s/

ESA studies options for Vega C upper stage engine ahead of first launch
by Jeff Foust — July 7, 2022 [SN]


An ESA official said there were no worried about any disruption in Vega C launches through the "medium-term" as it studies options to deal with any disruption in the supply of upper stage engines manufactured in Ukraine. Credit: ESA/J. Huart

WASHINGTON — The European Space Agency is continuing to study options to ensure a continued supply of upper stage engines for the Vega C rocket as that vehicle gears up for its inaugural launch.

The first flight of the Vega C, an upgraded version of the Vega small launch vehicle, is scheduled for 7:13 a.m. Eastern on July 13 from Kourou, French Guiana. The four-stage rocket’s primary payload is an Italian physics satellite, Laser Relativity Satellite-2 or LARES-2, a 295-kilogram spacecraft whose orbit will be closely tracked to test general relativity. The rocket is also carrying six cubesat secondary payloads.
https://spacenews.com/esa-studies-options-for-vega-c-upper-stage-engine-ahead-of-first-launch/

Oxford Space and SSTL unveil Wrapped Rib SAR antenna
by Debra Werner — July 19, 2022 [SN]


Oxford Space Systems developed a Cassegrain reflector antenna with a metal mesh surface. The Wrapped Rib antenna, with a 3-meter diameter parabolic reflector, is designed to stow in a small volume. Credit: Oxford Space Systems

SAN FRANCISCO – The United Kingdom’s Oxford Space Systems and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. completed construction of a deployable, Wrapped Rib antenna for small synthetic aperture radar satellites.

OSS designed the 3-meter parabolic reflector to stow compactly during transportation. SSTL supplied the high bandwidth radar instrument and radio frequency electronics.
https://spacenews.com/oss-sstl-wrapped-rib/

ESA funds Skimsat demonstrator study for VLEO
by Jason Rainbow — July 19, 2022 [SN]


Thales Alenia Space says Skimsat will be compatible with launchers that are designed to send small satellites to orbits higher than VLEO. Credit: Thales Alenia Space

TAMPA, Fla. — The European Space Agency has awarded funds to develop a demonstrator for Skimsat, a small satellite platform designed to operate in very low Earth orbit (VLEO).

Europe’s Thales Alenia Space said July 19 it had secured 2.3 million euros ($2.4 million) in ESA funding to advance its design of a satellite capable of operating in orbit below 300 kilometers.
https://spacenews.com/esa-funds-skimsat-demonstrator-study-for-vleo/

The UK’s ‘Astra Carta’ moment: Building a Space Sustainability Growth Platform
by Jason Rainbow — July 20, 2022 [SN]


An artist’s concept of debris-removal specialist Astroscale’s satellite life-extension platform. Headquartered in Tokyo, Astroscale operates its spacecraft from a mission control center in Harwell, England. Credit: Astroscale

Is the U.K.’s regulatory push at odds with the rest of its space strategy?

The United Kingdom has sights set on meeting emerging demands in its quest to become a major global space power. Few on the horizon are more pressing than the need to improve orbital sustainability.

Alongside investments in startups building businesses to clean up orbital debris, the British government is seeking to shape regulations to ingrain these companies in the future space ecosystem.
https://spacenews.com/the-uks-astra-carta-moment-building-a-space-sustainability-growth-platform/

Isar Aerospace to launch from French Guiana
by Jeff Foust — July 21, 2022 [SN]


Isar Aerospace expects to have a launch pad for its Spectrum rocket ready at the Diamant launch complex in French Guiana by the first half of 2024. Credit: Isar Aerospace

WASHINGTON — European small launch vehicle developer Isar Aerospace has signed an agreement with the French space agency CNES to launch its Spectrum rocket from French Guiana.

Isar said July 21 it signed a binding term sheet with CNES to launch from the Diamant launch complex at the Guiana Space Center, or CSG, near Kourou, French Guiana. The new pad, which will be in addition to one at Andøya, Norway, will host launches starting in the first half of 2024.
https://spacenews.com/isar-aerospace-to-launch-from-french-guiana/