https://spacewatch.global/tag/esa/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:54:04 +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/esa/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/isar-aerospace-secures-eur-270m-to-provide-sovereign-space-capabilities-globally/ Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74713 Isar Aerospace has signed a EUR 270m Series D round to expand operations worldwide and provide sovereign space capabilities for Europe, NATO, and allies. The capital will also drive global scaling and ramp up serial production of the company's Spectrum launch vehicle. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/esa-reaches-agreement-with-vast-to-fly-czechs-ales-svoboda-on-private-astronaut-mission-to-the-iss/ Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74720 The European Space Agency (ESA) will implement an astronaut mission to the International Space Station on behalf of the Czech Republic as part of the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station NASA awarded to Vast. Subject to Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP) review and approval, Aleš Svoboda, one of the 12 members of the astronaut reserve selected by ESA in November 2022, will serve as the mission’s pilot, becoming the first Czech astronaut on the ISS.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/artemis-iii-crew-confirmed-europes-luca-parmitano-takes-the-pilot-seat-on-humanitys-return-to-the-moon/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:37:32 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74702 ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher's words reflected the mood in Houston as NASA unveiled the Artemis III crew. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/esa-and-ebrd-to-advance-earth-observation-for-development-and-impact-finance/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74647 ESA has signed an agreement with the EBRD to advance the use of Earth observation data for development and impact finance.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/ohb-begins-spacecraft-construction-for-the-ramses-planetary-defense-mission-in-time-for-its-2028-launch/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74603 OHB has begun building the spacecraft for the RAMSES planetary defence mission, set to rendezvous with asteroid Apophis ahead of its April 2029 Earth flyby.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/spacewatchgl-opinion-the-next-war-could-be-fought-over-food-the-technologies-to-prevent-it-may-already-exist-in-bavaria/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74445
Written by Markus Haeuser
As climate change, water scarcity and geopolitical instability place growing pressure on global food systems, the search for sustainable food production is moving beyond traditional agriculture. Technologies originally developed to sustain human life on the Moon and Mars - from closed-loop resource management to advanced bio-manufacturing - may offer valuable solutions for food security on Earth. Bavaria, with its unique concentration of expertise in biotechnology, industrial engineering, agriculture and space technology, could be uniquely positioned to play a leading role in this emerging field.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/vast-signs-crewed-two-mission-agreement-with-france-to-its-haven-1-commercial-space-station-and-the-iss/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74458 Vast has signed a two-mission agreement with France for crewed flights to the ISS and its Haven-1 station next year, involving two French astronauts and CNES.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/spacewatchgl-opinion-a-month-on-what-stuck-from-luxembourg-space-resources-week-2026/ Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74415
Written by Remco Timmermans
One month after Luxembourg Space Resources Week 2026, several themes continue to stand out: a growing focus on implementation, the strategic value of data, the expanding role of industry, and a more pragmatic view of the road to the Moon.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/smallsat-europe-amsterdam-andrew-faiola-europes-refueling-in-orbit-servicing-and-hall-one/ Fri, 29 May 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74389 Torsten Kriening talks with Andrew Faiola of Astroscale at SmallSat Europe in Amsterdam. From Hall One's transformation from satellite broadcasting hub to new space center, to ESA programs and the ELSA-M mission, a conversation bridging three decades of industry evolution.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/dunmore-and-aviotec-collaboration-supports-groundbreaking-esas-proba-3-mission/ Fri, 29 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74289 Dunmore announces at the SmallSat Europe Conference in Amsterdam its contribution to the European Space Agency’s Proba-3 mission through its long-standing partnership with Italian thermal solutions provider Aviotec. Relying on raw materials from Dunmore, Aviotec, acting as a subcontractor to Airbus Defense and Space, was responsible for the design, manufacture, and installation of the mission’s specialized Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) blankets, ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/smallsat-europe-amsterdam-35-years-of-esa-flight-software-and-the-responsible-ai-path/ Thu, 28 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74326 Thirty-five years of space heritage brought Gofore to SmallSat Europe. The conversation quickly turned to a more difficult question: how to move faster without creating bigger problems in orbit.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/esas-hibidis-mission-signals-sitaels-shift-from-supplier-to-mission-prime/ Wed, 27 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74250 SITAEL announces a growth plan targeting €200 million in revenues by 2031, currently supported by over €150 million in backlog and nine launches planned by 2030.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/spacewatchgl-opinion-europes-space-industry-faces-a-structural-tipping-point/ Wed, 27 May 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74229
Written by Gilles Rabin
Two political signals from Berlin and Washington have exposed a deeper structural issue in Europe’s space sector. The challenge is no longer technological capability, but the ability to build a market that can scale, compete, and act independently.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/hps-gmbh-to-provide-the-communications-antenna-for-the-apophis-bound-ramses-spacecraft/ Wed, 27 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74213 OHB Italia and HPS GmbH have signed a contract at the SmallSat Europe 2026 conference making the latter responsible for procuring the communications antenna for the Apophis-bound Ramses spacecraft. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/liveeo-secures-additional-e6-6-million-in-public-funding-to-advance-twinspector-satellite-constellation/ Thu, 21 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74062 LiveEO has secured €6.6 million in public funding to advance Twinspector, the first satellite constellation purpose-built for critical infrastructure monitoring.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/spacewatchgl-opinion-planetary-defense-joins-the-supremacy-stack/ Thu, 14 May 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73899
Written by Torsten Kriening
At the 41st Space Symposium, a planetary defense luncheon I expected to be apolitical turned into something else. When a former NASA Administrator proposed extending the Artemis Accords to cover asteroid defense, it became clear: the last genuinely multilateral domain in space is being quietly absorbed into the American supremacy stack.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/spire-global-open-new-facility-in-munich-to-support-german-space-based-intelligence-capabilities/ Mon, 11 May 2026 06:00:52 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73746 Spire Global has established a sovereign satellite manufacturing facility in Munich, strengthening Germany's space-based intelligence capabilities.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/esa-and-jaxa-sign-dedicated-collaboration-agreement-for-2028s-ramses-mission-to-asteroid-apophis/ Mon, 11 May 2026 06:00:21 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73752 ESA and JAXA have signed a collaboration agreement for the 2028 Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis, deepening cooperation in planetary defence.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/4s-symposium-2026-esas-dietmar-pilz-vision-2040-the-proba-3-miracle-and-sell-better/ Wed, 06 May 2026 08:35:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73659 A spacecraft thought lost, back online within minutes. Space still has a way of ignoring expectations.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/swissto12-partners-with-hps-lss-to-develop-antenna-reflector-for-a-commercial-geo-telecommunications-satellite/ Wed, 06 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73630 SWISSto12 has announced a major contract with German high-performance space subsystem providers HPS/LSS to enable the world’s first direct-to-device media broadcasting capabilities from geostationary orbit. ]]>