European Space News

Michel Van

Michel Van

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New Threat that focus on all news about Europan Space Flight and ESA arianespace and co

in Interview ESA astronaut Frank De Winne point out that ESA is depending on USA and Russia to get in space.
Since Russia is in War with Ukraine and issue with the Trump administration.
On long term Europa need own access to space for astronauts to ISS or other Station.
end of 2025 will be conference of ESA members about the issue and how solve it.

source in Flemish:
https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/04/25/frank-de-winne-esa/
 
Europe has neither the will nor finances to sustain an extensive human spaceflight programme. What it does already is a large expense for little real gain apart from the odd photo op no one cares about. Putting that money into the other areas of ESA's portfolio would provide a much better return. Science at ESA is already suffering from stretched timescales to allow projects to continue within increasing financial constraints.

ESA should stick to an area it can be competitive in, robotic space science, and stop wasting money on pipe dreams.
 
FighterJock said:
Quite, I would like to see Arianespace develop its own capsule and put it on top of Ariane 6, that would solve that problem.
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Why not support The Exploration Company with Nyx vs. relying on Arianespace yet again?
 
https://www.ft.com/content/9336743a-28f2-4850-af38-016e8c74c9a0
Next round of European aerospace consolidation! This time between Airbus and Thales Alenia Space. This has been reported since late last year, and since February, it has become more concrete there are merger talks.

Overall, European space sector has been hit hard especially because of the weak GEO sat market due to LEO constellations, especially due to SpaceX and their Starlink. Number of new GEO contracts is at lowest in recent decades.

Airbus losses from space business since FY2023 amounts to €2 billion and have cut 2000 jobs last year. TAS has cut 1300 jobs.

German side fears that a merger will result in a French champion that holds monopoly in key technologies, which will affect German jobs.

They also are afraid that OHB will be negatively affected, as TAS contracts/cooperations, which traditionally have been with OHB on the German side, would be shifted to Airbus. OHB argued that with increased defence spending and forseeable increase in space capabilities investment, there's no need for big merger now.

On the other hand the French parliamentary report published in May called for opposition against the merger if the merger results in stronger German competitor (meaning stronger OHB) as a result of anti-trust, that would require ADAS and TAS to dispose some of their business operations.

Not likely to happen pre-2028 even if mergers are to be agreed by the end of this year.

Also customers aren't really thrilled either due to fears of weak competition leading to higher costs.

Overall, it seems like they want to emulate MBDA success, but it won't be easy, according to MBDA affiliates.


ps. The article contains a nice, comprehensive map and list of Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space operations with descriptions
 
FighterJock said:
Strange that there was no show from Ariane 6 or Vega since they are now the main work horses of Arianespace.
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work horse ?
let me see how many launches in 2024 and 2025
Ariane 6 two
Vega three
makes five launches

How many launches of SpaceX during 2024 and 2025 ?
207 Falcon 9
7 Starship launches

and Rocket Lab made
23 Electron launches

Those are work horse in Rocket industry...
 
Maro.Kyo said:
https://www.ft.com/content/9336743a-28f2-4850-af38-016e8c74c9a0
Next round of European aerospace consolidation! This time between Airbus and Thales Alenia Space. This has been reported since late last year, and since February, it has become more concrete there are merger talks.
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Huh, a merger between Thales and Airbus? I guess it makes sense, SpaceX is a tough challenge for them, and upcoming companies like Vast and Gravitics may be as well (and all the new satellite manufacturers). It’s a shame they can’t pivot so well.

In other European space news, POLARIS Spaceplanes has raised additional money in an oversubscribed seed round.
 
How many launches does PLD has achieved yet to justify the privatization of a rare launch facility?
 
TomcatViP said:
How many launches does PLD has achieved yet to justify the privatization of a rare launch facility?
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They build the Miura-1 sounding rocket and launch it
The Miura-5 is based on Miura-1 hardware, only bigger with second stage
Financial they get support by Spain (CDTI) Germany (DLR) and ESA (LPSR) and EU (SMILE)

since they are first private Europan company to launch a Rocket
seems they got first right to gain a launch site at GSP
anyhow there some disused launch pad in GSP like russian or older French rockets, waiting for new launch pads...
 
Sounding rockets have been launched by kids... Does it mean they have a right to get launch pad they can make an easy profit reselling?
 
TomcatViP said:
Sounding rockets have been launched by kids... Does it mean they have a right to get launch pad they can make an easy profit reselling?
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the Miura-1 sounding rocket what use KeroLox Rocket engine TEPREL-B
dosen't look like kids work
PLS-Space-TVC-Testing_Credit_PLD-Space-YouTube.jpg
 
What, the chinese can copy Starship and not Europe ? gimme me a break.

More seriously : Stoke is proof, there are companies aiming for smaller, Starship-like launch vehicles. Not everybody needs 200 mt to orbit.

Imagine if Europe produced a mini Starship the size of Falcon 9 - but fully reusable.
 
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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYk21ccKwtk#t=148s


[02:28] "The planned launch date is between January and March 2027 with ESA's PLATO satellite. Being launched with PLATO has shortened all the schedules."
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HENON

ESA’s first stand-alone deep-space CubeSat Henon takes shape [Oct 29]

The European Space Agency’s upcoming Henon mission will be the first ever CubeSat to independently venture into deep space, communicate with Earth and manoeuvre to its final destination without relying on a bigger spacecraft. Once in its orbit around the Sun, the carry-on luggage-sized CubeSat will observe the Sun’s emissions to demonstrate technologies capable of providing advanced warnings of solar storms hours before they reach Earth.
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That's a very good development. Notice ample textile room at key locations to match all ergonomics.

The future of Androgynous space is dead. We should all be tanksful for that :D
(and a little though to all the naysayers here that have bashed me for insisting on the concept years ago)
 
Why is there a piece of wood, recently varnished, in a clean room?! And what the heck is that released on marketing materials!?!
 
A support that is supposed to double as some sort of visual contamination biosensor, perhaps?

(What our American members would refer to as a wild ass*d guess.)
 
And that also (I circled in the same color the odd discrepancies):

AirbusSpace-MetOP-SG202512.jpg

Are they launching a game like >>Spot the differences!<< !?! :eek:

1. Exclamation point: wood pole (and bonus point for the fresh varnishing job)
2. Red circles: Safety precautions from supplier copiously disregarded
3. Green circles: Gloves or No gloves? That is the question, Léon!
4. Fuchsia circles: Shoe covers or not? and bladibladabla (bonus point for dirty shoes)
5. There are more. Your turn!
 
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