Europe

Thales Alenia Space (the joint venture between Thales, 67% and Leonardo, 33%) and Thales have signed a contract with The French defense procurement agency Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) to carry out a concept study concerning intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) applications using a StratobusTM type platform to meet French army operational needs.

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) are embarking on new cooperative projects for exploring unknown or potentially hazardous environments: harnessing drones for the monitoring of disaster-stricken regions or toxic spill sites and making use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to navigate across the surface of asteroids or other terra incognita.

HISPASAT, the Spanish satellite telecommunications operator, has awarded to Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), the construction of the Amazonas Nexus satellite, which will replace and expand the capacities of Amazonas 2 satellite, in orbit at 61º West.

European Space Imaging is a leading supplier of high-resolution satellite imagery to customers in Europe, North Africa and CIS. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Munich, Germany. SpaceWatch.Global’s Torsten Kriening had the chance to speak with Managing Director Adrian Zevenbergen at SpaceTechExpo Europe in Bremen about the company's business, the earth observation market and the future of that sector.

Strong technical skills and outstanding physical abilities are just some of the qualities space agencies look at during the astronaut selection process. But is that all? Let’s agree that if it was only about physical performance, we would probably resort to robots and AI. Yet, space agencies spend millions on astronaut training programs, making sure they are sending the best candidates for the job. SpaceWatch.Globals Valerie Vlasenko asked ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer what are the most important skills that astronauts need to possess.

Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) President Jean-Yves Le Gall presented his New Year wishes to the press at the agency’s Head Office in Paris Les Halles on 7 January 2020.

The Satcoms Innovation Group (SIG) has appointed Helen Weedon as Managing Director. The appointment marks significant restructuring of the innovation forum. Helen succeeds Martin Coleman who will commence as a member of the group’s advisory board.

Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc. and the leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies, announced on 9 January 2020 that researchers from the NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, The University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Utrecht University are using drifter buoys fitted with SPOT Trace satellite trackers to understand the dramatic increase of Sargassum seaweed across the North Atlantic.

Arianespace and the European Space Agency (ESA) have announced the signature of a launch services contract for the Euclid satellite - with the mission's timeframe for liftoff starting in mid-2022 from the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, South America.

Payload integration is underway for Arianespace’s first mission of 2020 – designated Flight VA251 – which will orbit satellites at the service of two long-time partners using an Ariane 5 launch vehicle.