Copernical Team
European Space Agency selects two firms to build ISS cargo vehicle
The European Space Agency announced Wednesday it has selected two companies to develop a vehicle to transport cargo to the International Space Station by 2028, in a potential first step towards independent missions carrying astronauts.
The agency has recently struggled to find rockets to launch its missions into space, and is following in the footsteps of NASA by purchasing services from firms rather than developing them itself.
In November, the ESA launched a competition allocating up to 75 million euros ($80 million) to a maximum of three firms to build a vehicle to take cargo to the ISS and back.
Out of seven proposals, the ESA selected those from French-German The Exploration Company and French-Italian company Thales Alenia Space, each of which will receive 25 million euros, the agency's chief Josef Aschbacher told AFP.
"The evaluation is still ongoing," he said, adding that the ESA may yet select a third proposal.
The contracts, which run until June 2026, will focus on developing the technology and structure of the vehicles.
Additional funds for the ambitious plan would need to be approved by the ESA's 22 members states in 2025.
First crewed Boeing Starliner flight delayed again
The first crewed launch of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station has again been delayed, according to NASA, with no new date immediately set.
"The next possible launch opportunity is still being discussed," the US space agency said in a statement Tuesday.
The postponement of the launch, which had been set for Saturday, marks the third delay this month for the highly anticipated mission, which would allow NASA to certify a second commercial vehicle to carry crews to the ISS, beyond Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Earlier this month, the Starliner launch was postponed just hours before liftoff, with the astronauts already strapped in, due to a separate technical issue.
Then last week, another delay was announced to allow teams to further assess a helium leak linked to the service module, which sits on top of the rocket.
"The team has been in meetings for two consecutive days, assessing flight rationale, system performance, and redundancy," NASA said Tuesday. "There is still forward work in these areas."
The postponements come as the Starliner program faces years of delays and at a challenging time in general for Boeing, which is separately facing safety questions around its commercial aviation arm.
ESA astronauts Sophie Adenot and Raphaël Liégeois assigned for Space Station mission
ESA astronauts Sophie Adenot and Raphaël Liégeois have been assigned for their first spaceflights to the International Space Station (ISS) on missions currently planned for 2026. This significant milestone was announced today by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher during the Space Council taking place in Brussels on 22 and 23 May 2024.
ESA and the EU update their Security of Information Agreement
Keeping information secure in today’s interconnected world is becoming ever more important. ESA and the EU have amended their security of information agreement, reinforcing their trusted partnership.
ESA signs contracts for commercial space cargo return service
ESA has signed two contracts with European industry to develop a commercial service capable of transporting cargo to and from the International Space Station in low Earth orbit by 2030.
Twelve countries sign the Zero Debris Charter
Airbus to build ESA’s Vigil space weather forecasting mission
Security considerations in flight launcher software
When Latitude began creating their small satellite launcher, Zephyr, they recognized the importance of selecting the correct programming language and development tools to support their efforts. They chose to work with high-integrity software experts AdaCore. Satellite to study clouds' impact on climate change
A new satellite aiming to enhance our understanding of clouds and aerosol particles in climate change is set to launch after over 30 years of planning.
The EarthCARE satellite, developed by the University of Reading's Professor Anthony Illingworth, was first conceived in 1993 and adopted by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2004. It will launch from California's Vandenberg Space Force Bas Macquarie Capital invests in earth resources technology
Macquarie Capital has invested in Earth Resources Technology (ERT), a data systems and technology company serving US Federal Government agencies with scientific, engineering, environmental, and IT services.
"This investment is a significant milestone and opportunity for growth for ERT," said Jingli Yang, ERT's CEO and co-founder. "Macquarie Capital has a strong track record supporting comp 
