https://spacewatch.global/tag/avio/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:00:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://spacewatch.global/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SpaceWatchGlobal-Sign-90x90.png https://spacewatch.global/tag/avio/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2025/09/esa-and-avio-sign-contract-for-a-reusable-upper-stage-demonstration-mission/ Tue, 30 Sep 2025 06:00:50 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=68058 ESA and Avio have signed a contract for development activities towards the in-flight demonstration of a reusable upper stage. The activities, for a total value of €40 million, will assess and prepare the requirements, the design and the technologies for both the ground and flight segments necessary for an upper stage demonstrator that could return to Earth and be reused on another flight.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/06/esa-signs-lisa-space-antenna-mission-agreement-at-paris-air-show/ Wed, 18 Jun 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=65861 ESA and OHB System AG have sealed their agreement to build ESA's Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, LISA. LISA will capture gravitational waves of lower frequencies than is possible from Earth, uncovering events of a different scale – all the way back to the dawn of time. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/03/pangea-aerospace-secures-series-a-round-towards-advanced-propulsion-systems/ Wed, 19 Mar 2025 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=64489 Pangea Aerospace has secured a €23 million Series A investment led by Hyperion Fund. The round enjoyed backing from existing investors, including Primo Capital through its Primo Space Fund and CDTI Innvierte. Additionally, French investor and former Ariane Group CEO André-Hubert Roussel joined the round.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/07/esa-council-facilitates-diverse-european-launch-services/ Mon, 08 Jul 2024 06:00:54 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=55971 The European Space Agency (ESA) Council has adopted a resolution setting the way for the ESA-developed Vega launcher to be commercialised by its prime contractor, Avio. The Resolution follows from an earlier resolution that the ESA Council adopted in Seville on 6 November 2023, calling upon the ESA Member States and the Director General to initiate a review of the legal framework governing the exploitation of ESA-developed launchers with the objective that Avio could become the operator and launch service provider of Vega as soon as possible]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/05/vega-c-zefiro-40-rocket-motor-completes-hot-fire-test/ Fri, 31 May 2024 06:00:10 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=55425 Vega-C prime contractor Avio has tested the Zefiro-40 solid rocket motor, the second stage of the Vega-C rocket at its Salto di Quirra test facility in Sardinia, Italy. The rocket motor features an improved engine nozzle design, necessary to prepare for Vega-C's return to flight by the end of 2024. The initial post-test review indicated that the new nozzle assembly performed as expected throughout the scheduled 94-second burning time of the test, simulating a nominal in-flight performance.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/08/esas-space-rider-likely-to-launch-third-quarter-of-2025/ Thu, 31 Aug 2023 06:00:19 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=50799 The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Space Rider program has begun its validation and testing phase, as it prepares for its first flight in the third quarter of 2025. Space Rider is a reusable uncrewed robotic laboratory that will provide an end-to-end integrated space transportation system for commercial customers. When Space Rider has been launched into space it will spend two months in orbit whilst experiments and technology demonstrations take place before returning to Earth. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/05/thales-alenia-space-led-consortium-wins-asi-contract/ Wed, 17 May 2023 06:00:06 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=48774 Thales Alenia Space has won a €235 million contract from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to design, develop and qualify a spacecraft for a dedicated In-Orbit Servicing (IOS) demonstration mission. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/03/independent-enquiry-commission-concludes-vega-c-vv22-failure/ Fri, 03 Mar 2023 17:55:56 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=47003 The Arianespace and ESA-set up independent inquiry commission has disclosed its conclusions on the reasons for the loss of the Vega-C VV22 mission after its launch in French Guiana on Tuesday, 20 December 2022. According to the Commission, after the nominal functioning of the Vega-C first stage P120C and nominal ignition of the second stage (Zefiro 40), a progressive decrease in the chamber pressure 151 seconds after lift-off led to the loss of the mission.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/02/university-of-nairobi-wins-unoosa-and-avio-launch-opportunity/ Mon, 13 Feb 2023 07:00:09 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=46567 The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and Avio have selected a consortium of the University of Nairobi (UoN), the University of Arizona (UA), and Space Trust as the first awardee of the ‘Accessing space with Vega C’ program. As a result, the team will launch a CubeSat, the NaSPUoN-0GPM2030, at no cost on board the Vega C rocket.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/12/gkn-aerospace-and-arianegroup-extend-partnership-on-ariane-6/ Fri, 23 Dec 2022 07:00:42 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=45619 GKN Aerospace has signed a contract with ArianeGroup to supply the next phase of Ariane 6 turbines and Vulcain nozzles. The contract includes the manufacturing and supply of units for the next 14 Ariane 6 launchers, which will begin production now until 2025]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/12/european-vega-c-mission-fails-due-to-motor-anomaly/ Wed, 21 Dec 2022 07:00:23 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=45583 Approximately 2 minutes and 27 seconds after liftoff an anomaly occurred on the rocket’s Zefiro 40 second stage, thus ending Arianespace’s Vega C mission, the company said. Data analyses are currently in progress to determine the reasons of the launch failure.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/07/arianegroup-selected-to-boost-development-of-europes-reusable-launchers/ Mon, 04 Jul 2022 06:00:41 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=41935 ArianeGroup will be leading the SALTO and ENLIGHTEN projects entrusted by the European Commission to speed up the development of reusable, eco-friendly European launchers, as part of the Horizon Europe program. The two-year reuSable strAtegic space Launcher Technologies & Operations (SALTO) project aims to test a reusable launcher’s vertical landing.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/04/arianespace-wins-contract-to-launch-sentinel-1c-satellite-on-vega-c/ Fri, 08 Apr 2022 06:00:40 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=40310 Arianespace has been awarded a launch contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) on behalf of the European Commission, to launch Sentinel-1C in the first half of 2023 on Vega-C, Arianespace said. The 2.3-tonne satellite, will be deployed in a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 690 km.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/07/esa-contracts-avio-to-develop-3-stage-vega-e-launcher/ Thu, 22 Jul 2021 06:00:32 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=34547&preview=true&preview_id=34547 The European Space Agency (ESA) signed a €120 million contract with the Italian manufacturer Avio to continue the development and manufacturing of the Vega launch system beyond 2025, the agency said. The contract, worth €118.8 million, engages Avio to prepare a new Vega launch vehicle version called Vega-E, which will make extensive use of Vega-C building blocks, ESA said. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/03/esa-to-look-into-the-future-of-space-transportation/ Fri, 12 Mar 2021 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=31099&preview=true&preview_id=31099 ESA to look into the future of space transportation]]> https://spacewatch.global/2020/12/vv17-failure-due-to-wrong-routing-and-connection-of-cables/ Mon, 21 Dec 2020 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=29207&preview=true&preview_id=29207 VV17 failure due to "wrong routing and connection" of cables]]> https://spacewatch.global/2020/06/spacewatchgl-column-espi-brief-38-in-orbit-servicing-challenges-and-implications-of-an-emerging-capability/ Wed, 17 Jun 2020 11:00:37 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=23496 As part of the partnership between SpaceWatch.Global and the European Space Policy Institute, we have been granted permission to publish selected articles and briefs. This is ESPI Briefs No. 38: ‘In-Orbit Servicing: Challenges and Implications of an Emerging Capability’, originally published in February 2020.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2019/05/arianespace-tapped-by-exactearth-to-launch-esail-satellite/ Tue, 14 May 2019 05:00:16 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=14078 Arianespace reports it has been selected by exactEarth to launch the ESAIL satellite using a Vega as part of the launcher's Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) Proof of Concept (POC) flight. It is the final contract signed by Arianespace for this POC flight, which is now completely booked with 42 payloads onboard.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2019/05/european-new-space-slovenias-trisat-to-become-first-vega-ssms-rideshare-passenger/ Mon, 06 May 2019 05:00:14 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=13880 On 5 April 2019, the University of Maribor (Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) and SAB Launch Services S.r.l. (SAB-LS) signed the Launch Services Agreement (LSA) for the launch of the TRISAT satellite.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2019/03/european-space-agency-backs-microlauncher-concepts-in-bid-to-boost-competitiveness/ Fri, 15 Mar 2019 06:00:39 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=13074 A flourishing small satellites market is driving demand for new ways to access space. Recent industry feasibility studies backed by ESA for new microlauncher services, are creating new business opportunities.]]>