ESA – Spaceflight Now

Airbus, Leonardo and Thales agree to form new European company

October 24, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

This new entity would potentially come online in 2027, pending regulatory approval and other logistics. A name for this combination hasn’t been announced.

EUMETSAT, ESA launches combo MTG-S1, Sentinel-4 satellite on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

July 1, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The dual mission satellite will help better monitor both weather patterns as well as air quality over Europe and North Africa. SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday, July 1, at 5:04 p.m. EDT (2104 UTC).

Arianespace successfully launches Ariane 6’s first commercial launch following Monday scrub

March 3, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

The launch will be managed by Arianespace and will carry the third satellite for the Optical Space Component (CSO– Composante Spatiale Optique) program. Liftoff is scheduled for Thursday, March 6, at 1:24 p.m. Kourou time (11:24 a.m. EST, 1624 UTC).

As it happened: NASA announces new path options for Mars Sample Return mission

January 7, 2025 Will Robinson-Smith

NASA put out a call in 2024 for proposals from industry and NASA centers for how to retrieve samples from the Martian surface in a cheaper way and on a shorter timeline.

Nelson: Decision on Mars Sample Return expected before new administration takes office

December 27, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said teams were meeting at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday, Dec. 20, to make some of the final determinations about how they will return dozens of samples from the Red Planet.

India to launch Eurpope’s Proba-3 spacecraft pair to study the Sun, demonstrate tandem maneuvering in orbit

December 3, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The Proba-3 mission is billed by the European Space Agency as “the world’s first precision formation flying machine.” Liftoff from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India is set for Thursday, Dec. 5, at 4:12 p.m. IST (5:42 a.m. EST, 1042 UTC).

Vega-C return to flight launch slips a day to allow for ‘further precautionary checks’

November 28, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The launch of the European Commission’s Sentinel-1C satellite is now targeting no earlier than Wednesday, Dec. 4, from the European Spaceport in French Guiana. The next update on launch preparations are set to be published on Friday, Nov. 29.

ESA’s Hera spacecraft launches on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket as Hurricane Milton takes aim at Florida

October 7, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The mission is a follow-on from NASA’s planetary defense mission, DART, which succeeded in changing the orbit of an asteroid around its larger neighbor. Liftoff happened at 10:52 a.m. EDT (1452 UTC).

ESA’s Hera mission progresses towards launch pending Falcon 9 readiness

October 2, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The journey to the binary asteroid system, Didymos and its moon, Dimorphos, will take place over a roughly two-year period. The launch window lasts from October 7-27.

ESA completes swan song of its Vega rocket with Sentinel-2C launch

September 3, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

The European Space Agency (ESA) will soon focus on the Vega-C rocket as its small launch vehicle. Liftoff happened Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 10:50 p.m. GFT (9:50 p.m. EDT, 0150 UTC).