The European Space Agency (ESA) took the opportunity at the International Astronautical Congress IAC 2020 (Online/Cyberspace edition) to announce contracts related to exploration. First out of the bag was the €491 million construction contract awarded to Airbus...
At the Heads of Space Agency online plenary at the International Astronautical Congress IAC 2020, Jim Bridenstine, NASA’s Administrator, started his presentation with the quote that “Competition is a driver, collaboration is an enabler.” By cooperating, nations would...
Having previously been selected as the prime contractor in early July, Airbus DS has formally received a Eu300 million (US$352 million) order to build the 1,700 kg Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow Topography ALtimeter (CRISTAL) ice monitoriing spacecraft from the...
On 15 September the European Space Agency (ESA) awarded the construction contract for their HERA mission to German manufacturer OHB Systems. The contract is valued at EUR€129.4m (US$153.3m). OHB will be the lead in a team with 17 other companies from ESA member...
On 3 July 2020, the European Space Agency (ESA), on-behalf of the European Commission, issued development contracts for six missions that will compliment and enhance the Copernicus Earth observation programme. These initial contracts, valued at EUR€2.55 billion...
On 24 March, the European Space Agency (ESA) put its long range space missions: the Cluster quartet, ExoMars TGO, Mars Express and Solar Orbiter, into Safe Mode “Hibernation” on 24 March to limit the number of personnel it would need at its operations centre. This was...
