Europe

After years of preparation and construction, mainland EU’s first orbital launch complex, Spaceport Esrange, has officially been inaugurated by the Swedish Head of State, King Carl XVI Gustaf, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson. Thereby, the European Union introduced a new and long-awaited critical asset to its shared space infrastructure, offering an independent European gateway to Space from northernmost Sweden.

Virgin Orbit has provided an update on why the first horizontal orbital launch from UK soil failed on 9th January. The company says that the preliminary analysis of data is starting to shed light on the anomaly.

The President of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Mr. Giorgio Saccoccia, announced today the guidelines and objectives of the national space agency for 2023. ASI, recently back from a very successful CM22, explained that for 2023 it intends to carry on its long-standing collaboration with ESA and NASA, open new strategic international goals, and keep pushing its national interests.

Researchers have confirmed the presence of an exoplanet, a planet that orbits another star, using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope for the first time. Formally classified as LHS 475 b, the planet is almost exactly the same size as Earth, clocking in at 99% of Earth’s diameter.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and SES have announced their €300 million financing agreement details. The seven-year term loan will back investments related to the design, procurement, and launch of three previously announced satellites that will deliver advanced broadcast and broadband services spanning Western Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The loan is the largest amount that the EIB has ever provided to a Luxembourg-based company.

The World Teleport Association (WTA) has published its annual rankings for the Top Teleport Operators of 2022, with AXESS Networks emerging as one of the best teleport operators globally. The annual rankings of surveying teleport operators compile top companies by revenue and revenue growth around the world and referencing publicly held companies' published results.. The annual rankings of surveying teleport operators compile top companies by revenue and revenue growth around the world and referencing publicly held companies' published results.

Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA) and SaxaVord Spaceport have announced their launch operations partnership. As a result of the partnership, RFA will have exclusive access to Launch Pad Fredo for orbital launches. Consequently, the company’s first launch of its RFA ONE launch system – currently planned for the end of 2023 – will take place from the northernmost point in the UK.

Airbus and Dutch high-tech industrial supplier, VDL Group, have signed a partnership agreement for the development and manufacturing of a laser communication terminal for aircraft, known as UltraAir, Airbus said. The duo is currently preparing a prototype demonstration demonstration and a first flight test planned for 2024.

RHEATECH’s DOVER Pathfinder satellite, designed to protect critical national infrastructure in the event of cyber hacking and jamming attacks, was on board the first-ever horizontal orbital launch from UK soil last night. The low-cost, resilient system was created to safeguard the UK’s critical national infrastructure. The launch, however, ended in failure due to an anomaly.