Technicians with the European Space Agency and Airbus/Airbus Netherlands are shown performing an illumination test on one of the solar array wing panels during installation on the Orion spacecraft for Artemis I inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The solar …
Airbus, Leonardo and Thales agree to form new European company Read More »
The Meteosat Third Generation Sounder (MTG-S1) satellite from the European Oganisation for the Exploration of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) is encapsulated in SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairings ahead of launch. Image: SpaceX A European satellite designed to augment both weather monitoring and assessments of air quality and pollution for Europe and North Africa is preparing to …
An artists rendering of the CSO-3 spacecraft. Graphic: MIRA PRODUCTION/Rémy Parot – Sébastien Gentet Airanespace and the European Space Agency (ESA) are preparing to launch the first Ariane 6 rocket of the year and the second in program history on Monday, March 3. The mission is the first customer flight of the 56 m (184 …
Live coverage: Arianespace to launch an Ariane 6 rocket on its 1st commercial mission Read More »
This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples of rocks and soil being collected from the Martian surface by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover.Credit: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech One of the biggest decision points for the space community, how to redesign the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, may be weeks …
Nelson: Decision on Mars Sample Return expected before new administration takes office Read More »
Artist’s view of Proba-3 on an ISRO PSLV-XL launch vehicle. Graphic: P. Carril/ESA The European Space Agency is preparing to launch two missions on Wednesday, half a world and half a day apart: Proba-3 from India and Sentinel-1C from French Guiana. Because ESA and the European aerospace industry are still working towards restoring home-grown launch …
Copernicus Sentinel-1C standing proud on its payload adapter between the two fairing halves that will protect the spacecraft on the launch pad and on its ascent towards space. Sentinel-1C, the third satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, is set to launch in December 2024 on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Image: …
Vega-C return to flight launch slips a day to allow for ‘further precautionary checks’ Read More »
An artist’s rendering of the Hera spacecraft along with CubeSats Milani and Juventas around the asteroid, Dimorphous. Graphic: ESA The European Space Agency and SpaceX are hoping for good enough weather as they prepare to launch a mission to a binary asteroid Monday morning. The Hera mission is a follow-on operation, which will examine Didymos …
An artist’s rendering of the Hera spacecraft alongside the CubeSats, Juventas and Milani. Graphic: ESA The European Space Agency is on the cusp of launching its first planetary defense mission, a complement to NASA’s 2022 Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. The goal of these missions is to understand how Earth can be protected from …
ESA’s Hera mission progresses towards launch pending Falcon 9 readiness Read More »
Sentinel-2 in the Vega launch tower. Image: ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE/Optique vidéo du CSG–T. Leduc The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to complete its transition to its Vega-C rocket with the final launch of its first-generation Vega rocket. The mission, dubbed VV24, will carry an Earth-imaging satellite to a sun-synchronous orbit. Liftoff of the 22nd and final …
ESA prepares to launch swan song mission for its Vega rocket Read More »
The Ariane 6 rocket stands at the launch pad at the Europe Spaceport in French Guiana following the removal of the mobile launch gantry. Image: M. Pédoussaut/ESA To quote the title track of Swedish rock band Europe’s third album, “It’s the final countdown” for the long awaited Ariane 6 to finally take flight. After running …
European Space Agency makes final preparations for inaugural Ariane 6 launch Read More »
