European Space Agency

NASA plans to move up the four-person SpaceX Crew-12 Dragon mission to the International Space Station.

The European Union is looking to take an incremental capability approach to field its IRIS2 secure satellite constellation will provide.

ESA is moving forward on preparing contracts under its European Launcher Challenge as it waits for the UK to decide on how to allocate its budgetary commitment.

Space maneuvers to avoid collisions are becoming more frequent.

French startup Alpha Impulsion was awarded a $1.1 million EU prize for its self-consuming propulsion system on future launchers and satellites.

Europe needs to increase its level of spending on space to avoid falling further behind rivals, the European Space Agency argues.

German space launch startup Rocket Factory Augsburg has secured two further ESA launches, while still working toward the inaugural liftoff of RFA One.

Isar Aerospace has set Jan. 21 as the “not before” launch date for its Spectrum rocket as the German startup also aims to reach orbit as part of the effort to recover from last year’s failed test mission.

Airbus plans to test a software-defined satellite to underpin efforts to develop non-terrestrial 5G connectivity infrastructure.

Open Cosmos received Ka-band spectrum rights through Liechtenstein as the European space tech company prepares to deploy an LEO broadband satellite system.

Europe’s meteorological agency Eumetsat gave the formal go-ahead to the EPS-Sterna program, which aims to grow a system of 20 weather monitoring satellites.

A Jan. 11 SpaceX rideshare launch carried 40 payloads to orbit, including 10 satellites from Kepler Communications.

MaiaSpace, an ArianeGroup subsidiary developing a small, reusable launcher, has plans for a larger version with twice the payload, CEO Yohann Leroy said.

The European Space Agency plans 65 satellite launches and other missions throughout the year, a roughly 30% jump from last year’s record figure.

ESA is looking into an alleged cyber breach of some of its data, saying initial indications are that limited and unclassified data may have been affected.

NASA is looking to no earlier than Feb. 15, 2026, to launch four crewmembers to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Crew-12 Dragon mission.

Avio says it has booked two Vega C launches as the Italian rocket company gears up for taking over launch operations of the system from Arianespace next year.

Spanish space startup Arkadia Space says it is looking to secure more contracts for its reaction control system after kicking off the year with a deal with Arianespace.

Redwire says it will furnish docking systems to The Exploration Company for use on its Nyx spacecraft under a multimillion contract.

The European Space Agency by February plans to sort out how to deal with a 20% funding shortfall for Human and Robotic Exploration missions.

NASA reports is continuing efforts to re-establish contact with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution orbital spacecraft after losing contact on Dec. 6.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

A sense of urgency led member states to fuel ESA with record funding.

Europe is ending its meeting to set the European Space Agency’s 2026-28 funding framework with a record commitment of €22.1 billion—and a sense of urgency.

German rocket startup Isar Aerospace has secured a contract from the European Space Agency to launch an in-orbit demonstration late next year.