With Susie, ArianeGroup offers Europe an all-new, smart, reusable upper stage concept, compatible with Ariane 6 and with the subsequent generation of European launchers. A stage such as this meets the future needs of both automated freighter and crewed flight missions, to, in and from space, and would contribute to enhancing Europe’s strategic independence.
Considering the nature of the VV22 anomaly, the Commission emphasizes that its conclusions on Zefiro 40 do not affect the Vega launcher which is relying on the Zefiro 23 and Zefiro 9 motors. In this context, Arianespace decided to adapt its launch schedule to reassign a mission to one of its two remaining Vega launchers with a targeted launch date before the end of summer 2023....A task force steered by ESA and Arianespace has started implementing the roadmap proposed by the Commission and will thoroughly follow the implementation of the actions by Vega’s prime contractor Avio, in order to ensure a reliable and robust return to flight of Vega-C. The targeted launch date is end of 2023.
ESP-MACCS / CubeMAPDec 14, 2022ESA| UKSA| TIS (ESP-MACCS)|VNIR Hyperspectral Solar Disk Imager (ESP-MACCS)|ESP-MACCS (Earth System Processes Monitored in the Atmosphere by a Constellation of CubeSats), also known as CubeMAP, is a constellation of three satellites planned for launch in 2024 as an European Space Agency (ESA) Scout mission. ESA’s Scout missions are designed to send miniature satellites to space to gather meaningful scientific information with regard to the Earth and its processes. ESP-MACCS will be utilised to quantify atmospheric processes in the upper troposphere and stratosphere.Quick factsOverviewMission type EOAgency ESA, UKSAMission status ApprovedLaunch date June 2025Instruments TIS (ESP-MACCS), VNIR Hyperspectral Solar Disk Imager (ESP-MACCS)
MicroCarb is expected to launch in 2024 and will monitor atmospheric carbon dioxide.
CubeSpec is starting the implementation phase, with a planned launch early 2024.
The German-based Planetary Transportation Systems may also launch its Autonomous Landing and Navigation Module (ALINA) in December. A Google Xprize alumnus, ALINA will land near the Apollo 17 landing site.
Alina landerLaunch TimeNET December, 2023RocketAriane 64
Taiwan is currently developing the TRITON (FORMOSAT-7R) satellite, which is planned to launch on an Arianespace rideshare mission.
New Austro satelliteThe Viennese space company Beyond Gravity (formerly Ruag Space), the Graz University of Technology and Seibersdorf Labor GmbH are primarily responsible for the new red-white-red "Cubesat" with the abbreviation "PRETTY" (Passive REflectometry and Dosimetry). According to the university, the device is to take off on March 9 aboard a "Vega C" rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou in French Guiana. After the first commercial launch of the new carrier rocket went wrong on December 21, there is now a question mark over the next activities. If "PRETTY" makes it into space, the new small satellite will carry out precise height measurements, for example of glaciers and sea waves, and investigate radiation in near-Earth space. A new measuring method is used here,
NASA and Italian Space Agency Join Forces on Air Pollution MissionMarch 8, 2023The two agencies are partnering on a satellite to understand the effects of different types of particle pollution on human health.NASA and the Italian space agency Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) are partnering to build and launch the Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA) mission, an effort to investigate the health impacts of tiny airborne particles polluting some of the world’s most populous cities. MAIA marks the first NASA mission whose primary goal is to benefit societal health, as well as the first time epidemiologists and public health researchers have been directly involved in development of a satellite mission.Set to launch before the end of 2024, the MAIA observatory will consist of a satellite known as PLATiNO-2 provided by ASI and a science instrument built at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The mission will collect and analyze data from the observatory, sensors on the ground, and atmospheric models.Those results will then be related to human birth, death, and hospitalization records to answer pressing questions about the health impacts of solid and liquid particles that contaminate the air we breathe. These particles, called aerosols, have been linked to respiratory diseases such as asthma and lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke, and adverse reproductive and birth outcomes, including premature birth and low infant birth weight.“Breathing airborne pollution particles has been associated with many health problems, but the toxicity of different particle mixtures has been less well understood,” said David Diner, NASA’s principal investigator for MAIA. “Working together with colleagues in Italy and around the world, we expect that MAIA will help us understand how airborne particle pollution puts our health at risk and potentially provide insights that will inform the decisions of public health officials and other policymakers.”(740 kilometers) above Earth’s surface, the mission will also collect some data over 30 secondary target areas throughout the world.Epidemiologists on the science team intend to study the effects of short-term exposure to particulate pollution over the course of days, as well as chronic exposure, which can last many years. Also of interest is “sub-chronic” exposure, such as the monthslong inhaling of pollutants that might occur during pregnancy, which can lead to adverse health effects for a mother and infant.More About the MissionMAIA is a joint Earth-observing mission between NASA and ASI. JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, leads the U.S. component of the project and is providing the observatory’s science instrument and hosting the instrument operations center. NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN) will provide uplink and downlink services for commands and data, and NASA’s Atmospheric Science Data Center will provide computational resources to generate and archive science products. ASI will provide the PLATiNO-2 spacecraft, contribute launch services, and host the mission operations center.To learn more about MAIA, visit:https://maia.jpl.nasa.gov/NASA JPL Press Release
Arianespace @ArianespaceWe are proud to announce at #SATShow a new contract signed with the Italian government for the deployment of the #IRIDE Earth observation constellation with 3 #VegaC launches to be scheduled from end of 2025 onwards!Take a look at our Press release 👇https://newsroom.arianespace.com/arianespace-awarded-new-vega-c-launches-for-the-iride-programme/
March 14, 2023Arianespace awarded new Vega C launches for the IRIDE programme • 2 firm Vega C launches and one option to deploy future Earth observation constellation IRIDE. • 3 launches to be scheduled from late 2025 onwards. • Vega C backlog boosted to 15 firms launches, demonstrating yet again the competitiveness of the new European light launcher.On March 14, Arianespace announced having signed with ESA, who is acting on the behalf of the Italian government, for the procurement of two Vega C launches. The contract also includes an option for a third dedicated launch. These launches, scheduled for the last quarter of 2025 onwards from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), will support the deployment of the future Earth Observation constellation IRIDE.“I would like to thank the Italian government, along with the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency ASI, to entrust Arianespace to deploy the state-of-the-art Earth Observation constellation IRIDE with Vega C,” said Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace. “To support implementation of such constellations projects, pivotal to a better understanding of the Environment changes at a global scale and to improving life on Earth, is at the core of our mission and we are particularly excited to be part of this adventure.”This new contract also demonstrates the versatility and competitiveness of the new European light launcher Vega C, whose backlog has now grown to 15 launches. The Vega C is an upgraded variant and is perfectly suited to serve the Earth observation market because of its higher performance and versatility. The Vega C is an ESA program carried out in cooperation between public institutions and private industry across 12 European partner states. AVIO SpA (Colleferro, Italy) is the prime contractor of Vega C, responsible for the development of the launcher system and delivering to Arianespace a launcher “ready-to-fly” at the Guiana Space Center.“The Italian government has requested the European Space Agency to assist in the implementation of the ambitious IRIDE Earth Observation programme, funded by the PNRR” – declared Simonetta Cheli, director of the Earth Observation Programmes at the European Space Agency. “The first major programme milestone – set for end of March 2023 – is approaching and with this contract ESA repays the trust of the Italian government while confirming its confidence in Arianespace and in the Vega C launch system. IRIDE represents a unique growth opportunity for the entire Italian space ecosystem.”IRIDE is an end-to-end system composed of constellations of LEO satellites (Upstream Segment), the ground-based Operations infrastructure (Downstream Segment) and a range of Services to be delivered to the Italian Public Administration (Service Segment). The constellation will be based on different sensing techniques and technologies, encompassing Synthetic Aperture Radars, SAR, imaging as well as optical imaging, from medium to high resolution and in many different frequency ranges.With institutional purposes primarily, the IRIDE constellation will be used to support the Civil Protection and other State institutions to implement measures against hydro-geological instability, to protect the coastline and prevent fires, to monitor critical infrastructures, air quality, and weather conditions.IRIDE is an initiative of the Italian government. With an investment of approximately 1.1 billion euros, the new constellation will be completed within five years. The European Space Agency is providing assistance to this Italian national project and is implementing the procurement actions on behalf of the Italian government.
December 3, 2022 by ItalianPostNews...There are two activities covered by the contracts signed today. One is the High Resolution Multispectral Mission, by Argotec (Turin), whose contract provides for the development and delivery of a first batch of 10 satellites (and the development of the related Flight Operation Segment, FOS) by November 2024 with the option negotiated for a second batch of 15 satellites, to be delivered by November 2025. The Argotec-led industrial team includes the partners Officina Stellare and Rhea System. The other activity concerns the High Resolution Multispectral Mission of OHB Italia (Milan). The contract provides for the development and delivery of a first lot of 12 satellites (and the development of the related Flight Operation Segment, FOS) by November 2024 with the negotiated option for a second lot of 12 satellites, to be delivered by November 2025. The industrial team led by OHB Italia includes the partners OPTEC, Telespazio and Aresys.The current agreement has a total value of 68 million euros for 22 satellites, of which 10 built by Argotec and 12 built by OHB Italia. By the end of 2025, with the optional assignment of the second batch of satellites, the combination of the two constellations will allow the daily review of each location in Italy with a ground sampling distance (GSD) of the order of 2 metres. This would represent an investment of around €126 million.
Quote from: Jeff Foust tweetArianespace's Stéphane Israël: Last Ariane 5 launch scheduled for June 21, carrying two European government payloads. [Mar 15]
Arianespace's Stéphane Israël: Last Ariane 5 launch scheduled for June 21, carrying two European government payloads. [Mar 15]
April 13 • Ariane 5 • JUICELaunch time: 1215:01 GMT (8:15:01 a.m. EDT)Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana...June 21 • Ariane 5 • Syracuse 4B & Heinrich HertzLaunch window: TBDLaunch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana
Ranzo said that Avio will start stacking an original Vega vehicle on the launch pad in French Guiana by the end of June for a launch in late July or August. Arianespace has yet to disclose the customers for the launch other than saying at a March 3 briefing that it will carry two primary payloads and several smaller rideshares.https://spacenews.com/avio-secures-italian-government-funding-for-methane-engine-and-small-launch-vehicle-prototype/
The Commission launches an invitation to tender to procure a concession contract to implement the EU satellite constellation called IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite). ...The Commission is looking forward to receiving proposals of the whole array of the European industrial ecosystem, from well-established European industries to dynamic SMEs and newcomers. The proposals will be evaluated during a competitive dialogue in view of a contract signature by the beginning of 2024. The provision of full operational capability for governmental services is foreseen in 2027.
