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ESA

Ariane 6 update from ESA

In “early April” the European Space Agency (ESA) expects to integrate the second booster stage onto the giant Ariane 6 rocket in readiness for the craft’s crucial inaugural flight from French Guiana. The debut flight is scheduled for between June 15th – July 31st. This pre-flight work is important and it is crucial that the […]

March 27, 2024

ESA awards €233m for LEO demo satellites

The European Space Agency (ESA) has allocated a budget of €233 million to build a satellite with a target millimetre-level accuracy as the initial ‘demonstrator’ move for its Genesis and LEO-PNT scheme. The budget also covers two 5-satellite mini-constellations for a future orbital Positioning, Navigation and Timing system which are key elements for its Sat-Nav […]

March 21, 2024By Chris Forrester

ESA confirms summer launch for Ariane 6

The first full test launch for the all-new Ariane 6 rocket will happen between June 15th and July 31st this year. The European Space Agency (ESA) issued a joint report from the Launcher Task Force on progress to date and its schedule for the future as it gears up to the summer test launch for […]

February 2, 2024By Chris Forrester

ESA boss: “Europe must be bold”

Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), speaking at the European Space Conference held in Brussels, has urged European space-related industries to be bolder. He wants to set up a ‘Strategy 2040’ programme, and has agreement from the EU. “Europe has to be bold, or else we will always remain a 2nd […]

January 26, 2024

ESA ups investment in key satellite areas

Josef Ansbacher, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) director general, in its annual press briefing, said it is looking for ideas for missions and system concepts to help us reach our goal of long-term orbital sustainability. The new programme looks forward to 2050 and ESA is upping its budget by 10 per cent this year. However, […]

January 15, 2024By Chris Forrester

Ariane 6 “on track”

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) giant Ariane 6 rocket remains firmly on track for a test launch in June-July 2024. The test flight confirmation came from the Ariane 6 Launcher Task Force, which consists of top management of ESA, as the overall Ariane 6 procuring entity and launch system architect, of the French space agency […]

December 20, 2023By Chris Forrester

ESA issues warning to Ariane 6 suppliers

The European Space Agency (ESA) issued a strong warning to contractors supplying components for its new Ariane 6 rocket. They will be barred from raising prices over and above their originally quoted costs – and that ESA expects prices to be reduced. Phillippe Baptiste, head of France’s CNES space agency, said this was not the […]

December 1, 2023By Chris Forrester

ESA extra funding for Arianespace

Government members of the European Space Agency (ESA) have agreed to fund an extra €340 million per year to Arianespace for its planned Ariane 6 rocket currently in development. The cash is needed to pay for the non-activity of Arianespace because its new rocket is extremely late. An inaugural test flight for Ariane 6 is […]

November 7, 2023By Chris Forrester

ESA chooses SpaceX over Arianespace again

SpaceX has signed a deal with the European Space Agency (ESA) over potential satellite launches, according to the WSJ. Normally – in fact almost always – ESA uses Arianespace rockets to launch its scientific and governmental missions. However, there are no Arianespace launches available until 2025. The first test flight of Arianespace’s new Ariane 6 […]

October 24, 2023By Chris Forrester

Ariane 6 engine test postponed again

The European Space Agency (ESA) has again postponed a test-firing of the rocket’s main stage. A statement on August 30th said that a planned test on August 29 was scrubbed because of problems which the Agency described as a “technical issue affecting the control bench” that handles propellant loading and the automated countdown. The key […]

August 31, 2023By Chris Forrester