https://spacewatch.global/tag/european-union/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Tue, 19 May 2026 09:18:48 +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/european-union/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/africas-new-meteorological-satellite-application-facility-amsaf-to-support-timely-weather-based-decision-making/ Tue, 19 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73993 Africa's new Meteorological Satellite Application Facility has launched in Addis Ababa to strengthen nowcasting capabilities across the continent.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/03/eu-strengthens-arctic-security-norway-and-iceland-join-iris%c2%b2-and-govsatcom/ Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=72404 In a move to fortify European strategic autonomy and Arctic communication resilience, the European Union has officially signed an agreement with Norway and Iceland, integrating both nations into the EU’s flagship secure satellite programs.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/10/esa-council-approves-several-partnerships-at-337th-meeting-in-paris/ Mon, 27 Oct 2025 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=68564 The 337th meeting of ESA Council took place at the European Space Agency’s headquarters in Paris on 23 and 24 October 2025. The Council approved MoUs for cooperation agreements between the Agency and other partners. The meeting also featured preparations for ESA's Ministerial Council on 26 and 27 November in Bremen.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/10/esa-selects-kongsberg-nanoavionics-to-build-spacecraft-for-the-esa-ec-iod-iov-program/ Thu, 16 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=68380 ESA, through ESTEC, has selected Kongsberg NanoAvionics to build a 12-16U CubeSat platform for its IOD/IOV program. NanoAvionics will be responsible for the design, assembly, integration, testing, ground segment, and operations of the satellite. In addition, the spacecraft will house various payloads from European entities to be demonstrated and validated in-orbit.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/10/titan4-closes-a-e4-million-series-a-round-led-by-cdp-venturecapital-sgr-and-vertis-sgr/ Tue, 14 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=68327 Titan4 has closed a €4 million Series A round, allowing the startup to consolidate its presence on the domestic market, accelerate research and development activities and start international expansion. Titan4 aims to position itself as a global leader in supporting the security and resilience of infrastructures. CDP Venture Capital led the funding round through the Infratech sub-fund of the Corporate Partners I fund, together with Vertis, through the Vertis Venture 6 Digital Sud fund partly co-financed by the European Union, Next Generation EU. Furthermore, the transaction follows the seed investment made in 2023 by Galaxia, the National Technology Transfer Hub for Aerospace.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/10/arianespace-to-launch-eus-copernicus-sentinel-1d-satellite-on-november-4-aboard-ariane-6/ Tue, 07 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=68211 Arianespace will launch the Sentinel-1D satellite on Ariane 6's third commercial mission from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on November 4, 2025. The Sentinel-1D satellite is part of Copernicus, the Earth observation component of the European Union's Space Program. Sentinel-1D will carry advanced radar technology to provide an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of the Earth's surface, delivering data essential to monitoring sea ice, track icebergs and glaciers, subsidence, and oil spills.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/08/open-cosmos-launches-first-rideshare-mission-for-the-iod-iov-program/ Thu, 07 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=66818 Open Cosmos signs first work order contract for the IOD/IOV program funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe R&I Program. The European Space Agency announced that it selected the company as one of six European providers for this Frame Contract in January 2025. Marking a major milestone for European innovation, the European Commission and ESA established a pool of rideshare providers to accelerate access to space for groundbreaking technologies.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/07/dawn-aerospace-joins-european-hydef-program-with-in-space-propulsion-expertise/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=66197 Dawn Aerospace has been contracted to support the design and evaluation of advanced liquid propulsion systems for the HYDEF program. HYDEF is strategic initiative funded by the European Union to develop Europe’s first counter-hypersonic interceptor system.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/06/deimos-led-consortium-receive-eu-funding-for-icarus/ Tue, 11 Jun 2024 06:00:54 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=55601 A European consortium, led by Spanish mission and system integrator Elecnor Deimos (Deimos), has received €15 million in funding from the European Union to develop an inflatable heat shield to recover rocket stages from space and prepare for Mars missions. Other partners and affiliations include the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Italian Aerospace Research Center (CIRA), the French Aerospace Research Center (ONERA), Pangaia Grado Zero, Politecnico di Torino, Atmos Space Cargo, HDES Service & Engineering, and Demcon Advanced Mechatronics. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/06/spacewatchgl-geopolitics-give-unoosa-and-portugal-a-chance/ Wed, 05 Jun 2024 08:00:13 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=55412 The “Management and Sustainability of Space Activities Conference” took place in Lisbon, on May 14 and 15, 2024, totalling over 15 hours of talks. A joint event organized by Portugal with UNOOSA (United Nations Office for Space Affairs), this conference was also intended to contribute to the discussion on the space sector at the upcoming United Nations Summit of the Future in September 2024. Besides featuring experts' discussion on the importance of international cooperation and regulations in managing and sustaining outer space activities, a key merit of this conference is to have allowed members states that aren’t dominant space powers to showcase their initiatives. Let’s find out.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/05/spacewatchgl-interviews-kai-uwe-schrogl-seville-brussels-and-now-esa-defines-the-next-steps-for-space/ Wed, 29 May 2024 08:00:17 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=55361 Paris, 27 May 2024. ESA held a Council at Ministerial level meeting last November in Seville and just concluded on 23 May 2024 together with the European Union a Space Council meeting in Brussels. We discussed with Kai-Uwe Schrogl, ESA’s Special Advisor for Political Affairs, where the Agency stands, where success and challenges are, and what to expect in the near future.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/09/esa-works-with-eu-on-secure-connectivity/ Fri, 22 Sep 2023 06:00:52 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=51264 The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission have signed an agreement on the 21st of September to use space to help keep information secure. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/07/gmv-awarded-six-projects-by-european-defence-fund/ Fri, 07 Jul 2023 06:00:16 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=49853 GMV, a technological business group, announced on the 5th of July that they have been awarded six projects selected by the European Defence Fund (EDF) under the second call of the EDF program. In the second call for proposals the Commission has supported a total of 41 joint defence research and development projects across the European Union, with a total budget of 832 million euros in funding.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/03/spacewatchgl-opinion-space-and-foresight-on-synchronous-orbit/ Fri, 17 Mar 2023 11:00:42 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=47229 As space activities and innovative technologies emerge around the world and the space economy becomes increasingly global, it is worth investigating how space services and applications can support strategic foresight and its embedding into policymaking. Understandably, amidst all this trouble on planet Earth, it is perhaps easy to forget how important space has become to us and our future.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/03/eu-space-strategy-for-security-and-defense-announced-by-the-european-commission/ Mon, 13 Mar 2023 07:00:35 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=47160 The European Commission and the High Representative have developed the first-ever EU Space Strategy for Security and Defense in response to identifying space as a strategic domain in the Strategic Compass. In the current geopolitical context of increasing power competition and intensifying threats, the EU is taking action to protect its space assets, defend its interests, deter hostile activities in space, and strengthen its strategic posture and autonomy.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/03/spacewatchgl-share-incoming-mission-strengthen-defence-security-at-the-5th-cassini-hackathon/ Tue, 07 Mar 2023 16:00:15 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=47046 The global security environment is becoming more contested, complex and interconnected. As armed conflicts and civil wars re-emerge in the EU’s neighbourhood, new and unconventional security threats have emerged or grown stronger. In an increasingly interconnected world, Europe’s security starts at home. European citizens expect and deserve to live in a safe and stable environment.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/02/large-deployable-reflector-subsystem-begins-phase-c-d/ Thu, 16 Feb 2023 07:00:56 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=46662 On the 15th of February HPtex, a space tech company based in Münchberg, announced the beginning of Phase C/D for the Large Deployable Reflector Subsystem (LDRS) in the Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) project.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/12/the-space-cafe-podcast-69-carlo-buontempo-copernicus-climate-change-and-an-unbiased-look-at-the-state-of-our-world/ Wed, 07 Dec 2022 09:00:21 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=45310 SpaceWatch.Global is pleased to present: The Space Café Podcast #69: Carlo Buontempo - Copernicus Climate change and an unbiased look at the state of our world. Episode 069 features a special guest: Carlo Buontempo. Carlo Buontempo is the Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service at Copernicus ECMWF. He is an expert on climate change and has been working in the field for many years. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/08/esa-decommissions-copernicus-sentinel-1b-satellite/ Thu, 04 Aug 2022 06:00:44 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=42540 ESA and the European Commission announced the end of the mission for the Copernicus Sentinel-1B satellite, which experienced an anomaly related to the instrument electronics power supply provided by the satellite platform, leaving it unable to deliver radar data since December last year.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/04/revisit-europe-with-european-space-technologies/ Fri, 01 Apr 2022 07:00:14 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=40199 The 3rd Cassini Hackathon will focus on preserving Europe’s tourist destinations and the way we access them. Participants will be challenged to develop ideas that support sustainable travel, and promote thoughtful exploration of nature. The aim is to uplift the tourism industry with “resilient and sustainable digital solutions”.]]>