ESA is prepping for launch of the Planetary Transits and Oscillations of Stars (Plato) mission, with the telescope to lift off on an Ariane 62 late next year.
The European Space Agency and ArianeGroup have signed an agreement for around €230 million ($242 million) in additional funding for a reusable rocket program.
PLD Space’s ambitious vision injects a sense of entrepreneurial spirit into Europe’s space programs as the region worries about its global competitiveness.