On 17 December, two Galileo satellites will be launched on an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana in the 14th launch of operational satellites for the Galileo programme. This will be Galileo’s first launch on Ariane 6 and the fifth launch of Europe’s heavy-lift launcher. 

Image: XMM-Newton sees comet 3I/ATLAS in X-ray light

Week in images: 08-12 December 2025

Discover our week through the lens

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 12, 2025
IHI-SAT2, a hyperspectral 6U CubeSat built by Kongsberg NanoAvionics for Japan's IHI Corporation, has reached orbit and established two-way communications shortly after deployment from a SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Transporter-15 rideshare mission launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 28 November 2025. The mission is intended as a step toward IHI's planned Earth observation const

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 12, 2025
Antares has raised $96 million in Series B financing to support development and deployment of its compact nuclear microreactors for defense and space customers. The round, led by Shine Capital with participation from Alt Capital, Caffeinated, FiftyThree Stations, Industrious and other investors, includes $71 million in new equity and $25 million in debt earmarked for equipment purchases, factory

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Dec 12, 2025
GomSpace has signed a 1.2 million euro (13.2 MSEK) contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a security-enhanced generation of its NanoCom product line under the SECUSAT program. The agreement supports the evolution of secure satellite communications capabilities for both institutional and commercial users. SECUSAT will upgrade GomSpace communication and onboard computer pro

Chicago IL (SPX) Dec 12, 2025
Quantum technology is accelerating out of the lab and into the real world, and a new article in Science argues that the field now stands at a turning point - one that is similar to the early computing age that preceded the rise of the transistor and modern computing. The article, authored by scientists from University of Chicago, Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technolo

London, UK (SPX) Dec 12, 2025
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. has secured an order of about 10 million dollars for a customized Earth observation direct downlink solution to be delivered over the next 12 months. The contract was awarded to Gilat DataPath and broadens the role of Gilat Defense from satellite communications into Earth observation and geospatial intelligence. The system is based on a transportable direct do