https://spacewatch.global/tag/thales-alenia-space/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:00:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://spacewatch.global/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SpaceWatchGlobal-Sign-90x90.png https://spacewatch.global/tag/thales-alenia-space/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/esa-orders-four-more-galileo-second-generation-satellites-to-expand-europes-navigation-fleet/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79506 The European Space Agency has extended contracts with Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space to procure four additional Galileo Second Generation satellites, bringing the number under contract to 16. Announced on October 27, 2026, the procurement adds two satellites to each manufacturer’s existing order and forms part of Europe’s effort to upgrade its global satellite navigation system. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/esa-council-names-new-agency-directors-for-commercialisation-and-space-operations/ Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=79364 The European Space Agency Council has approved the appointment of Andrzej Banasiak as Director of Commercialisation and Industry Partnership and Nicolaus Hanowski as Director of Space Operations. Announced on October 22 following the Council’s 350th meeting in Paris, both appointments will take effect on January 1, 2027.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/10/ispace-europe-and-altec-sign-mou-to-explore-lunar-rover-testing-partnership/ Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=78898 ispace-EUROPE and Italy’s ALTEC have signed an MoU to explore collaboration on lunar rover testing, mission simulations and operator training.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/09/dhruva-space-and-thales-alenia-space-sign-mou-on-global-satellite-opportunities/ Mon, 21 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=77896 Dhruva Space and Thales Alenia Space have signed an MoU to explore collaboration on satellite constellations, space infrastructure and advanced systems, as India's private sector expands beyond its home market.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/09/esa-signs-e20-million-in-low-leo-contracts-as-iris%c2%b2-enters-hardware-development/ Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=77847 ESA has signed 18 contracts worth €20 million in Madrid, bringing nearly 80 companies into Low-LEO studies that could expand IRIS² beyond its initial architecture.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/09/esa-awards-parallel-eogs-architecture-studies-to-iceye-and-leonardo/ Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=77862 ICEYE and Leonardo have been selected by the European Space Agency to lead parallel studies to develop architectural blueprints for the European Union’s planned Earth Observation Governmental Service. The contracts mark an early step toward defining a sovereign and secure Earth-observation capability for European government users.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/09/airbus-to-build-spainsat-ng-iii-as-spain-replaces-lost-communications-satellite/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=77800 Spanish satellite operator Hisdesat has contracted Airbus Defence and Space to develop and build SpainSat NG-III, a new secure communications satellite intended to strengthen Spain’s strategic communications capabilities and replace the damaged SpainSat NG-II.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/09/nigeria-moves-ahead-with-satellite-upgrade-as-thales-wins-nigcomsat-2a-contract/ Wed, 16 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=77739 Nigeria's NIGCOMSAT has contracted Thales Alenia Space for the NigComSat-2A telecommunications satellite, part of a broader architecture serving national and wider African markets.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/mtg-i2-launch-sends-ariane-6-to-geostationary-orbit-for-the-first-time/ Mon, 24 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76850 On 27 August, an Ariane 62 will carry Meteosat Third Generation Imager 2 from Kourou - the vehicle's first mission to geostationary transfer orbit and the farthest it has flown. MTG-I2 completes the first MTG family, delivering a rapid scan over Europe every 2.5 minutes and closing a programme that has occupied more than 2,000 people across 70 European companies.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/07/thales-alenia-joins-ohb-italia-led-consortium-to-develop-the-prisma-satellite-for-the-italian-space-agency/ Fri, 31 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76071 Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract with OHB Italia for the development of the PRISMA Second Generation Earth observation satellite for the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Scheduled for launch in 2031, the satellite will carry a hyperspectral instrument, built by Leonardo, featuring enhanced functional and resolution capabilities compared to the first generation.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/eu-partners-member-states-to-strengthen-europes-role-in-the-orbital-economy-with-isos-pilot-mission/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74813 The European Union has signed a joint declaration together with Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway in support of the In-Space Operations and Services (ISOS) pilot mission, a step towards a European in-orbit service infrastructure. Signed at at the International Airshow in Berlin, the declaration comes as the European Commission advances plans for a new pilot mission to perform servicing tasks in orbit.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/axiom-space-establishes-swiss-subsidiary-to-anchor-european-engagement-space-collaboration/ Fri, 05 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74549 Axiom Space has established a Swiss subsidiary in Lucerne to anchor its European engagement with ESA, focused on microgravity research, in-space manufacturing, and orbital compute.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/06/voyager-technologies-set-to-acquire-astrobotic-expanding-its-commercial-lunar-operations-portfolio/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74447 Voyager Technologies is acquiring Astrobotic, adding lunar delivery, power, and surface operations to its strategic lunar portfolio.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/05/orbit-fab-enters-new-satellite-refueling-partnership-with-thales-alenia-space-uk/ Tue, 26 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=74182 Orbit Fab and Thales Alenia Space UK are partnering on refuellable satellite propulsion architecture, supported by the UK Space Agency.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/03/rocket-lab-launches-celeste-europes-low-earth-orbit-satellite-navigation-demo-mission/ Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=72438 Rocket Lab has delivered ESA's Celeste mission to orbit — the first LEO satellite navigation demo for Europe.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/03/spacewatchgl-analysis-we-have-failed-the-end-of-polite-silence/ Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=72168
Written by Gilles Rabin
Yesterday, all the key decision-makers in France's space sector gathered at the Salons Hoche in Paris for the annual Perspectives Spatiales conference. What they got was a moment of rare candour that cut through an otherwise familiar programme of panels and talking points.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/03/astrobotic-to-reinvent-the-wheel-for-italian-space-agencys-lunar-multi-purpose-habitation-module/ Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=71827 Astrobotic has won a contract from Thales Alenia Space to develop a lunar wheel assembly solution for the Multi-Purpose Habitation (MPH), an Italian Space Agency (ASI) program,. The program is in partnership with NASA as a core element of the Artemis architecture, designed to allow astronauts to live on the lunar surface to conduct science experiments and test initial habitability. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/02/euspa-contracts-thales-alenia-space-for-egnss-service-demonstrator-esd-platform/ Fri, 20 Feb 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=71413 The European Union Agency for the Space Program has signed a Framework Contract with Thales Alenia Space to build the European GNSS Service Demonstrator, a centralized modular platform advancing EU Space services like EGNOS, Galileo, Copernicus, and GOVSATCOM/IRIS2. The ESD will comprise a modular and flexible ground and support segments to handle a diverse number of Reference Stations and data. It will also be able to compute corrections, messages or data that will be disseminated in real-time via different means such as GEO SiS and the internet. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/01/loft-selected-as-a-prime-contractor-for-frances-first-space-based-radar-imaging-program/ Fri, 23 Jan 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70620 Loft has been selected by the French Space Agency and the Directorate General of Armaments to lead a consortium for the development and operation of the DESIR program (Sovereign Radar Imaging Elements Demonstration). The program aims to provide France with its first sovereign space-based radar imaging (SAR) capability and represents a major milestone in the development of a national radar imaging value chain, a critical technology for the armed forces and for France’s strategic autonomy.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/01/third-cosmo-skymed-second-gen-satellite-launches-to-orbit-to-enhance-the-services-performance/ Mon, 05 Jan 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70146 The third satellite of the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation constellation has been launched into orbit from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California (USA), aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite will thereby guarantee the operational continuity of the COSMO-SkyMed constellation's radar (SAR, Synthetic-Aperture Radar) services, further enhancing the already high performance of the system in terms of image quality and area coverage. ]]>