Quote[37:20] Launch 15 has been scheduled for "end of '26", Launch 17 "beginning of 2027", with contract for launch 18 already signed.
[37:20] Launch 15 has been scheduled for "end of '26", Launch 17 "beginning of 2027", with contract for launch 18 already signed.
37:15 contract of launch 18. So 15, 16, 17 and 18 are already planned. Um, and we have37:22 contracts that support the preparation of all those launches. I think Eric already anticipated in his presentation.37:29 Uh, launch 15 will be and 26, launch 1637:34 will be beginning uh 2027 and then we continue to launch with a regular
2026Early - LE-01 (Amazon Leo) (x35) - Ariane 64 (VA267) (inaugural flight) - Kourou ELA-4
The first of 18 Arianespace launches will add 32 Amazon Leo satellites in 2026.
Arianespace @Arianespace🚀 Lift-off!#Ariane6 has successfully begun mission #VA266, carrying Galileo SAT 33 & SAT 34 into orbit from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
Arianespace @Arianespace🌍🚀 Launch Success for VA266!#Arianespace, with #Ariane6 has successfully delivered Galileo SAT 33 & 34 into their target orbit, strengthening Europe’s global navigation satellite system.
(not quite Arianespace, but since we haven't detached the future Vega operations of Avio from here yet...)Taiwan's TASA just announced the bidding for the launch services of FORMOSAT-8C, 8D, 9A and 9B has went to Avio (Vega-C or E).
Avio has signed two Launch Service Agreements with two different customers (one European and one non-European) to launch multiple satellites aboard a Vega C launcher.The name of the customers and of the satellites remains undisclosed and will be announced in due course by the customers.Giulio Ranzo, Chief Executive Officer of Avio, commented: “Avio is proud to have signed these two contracts as a result of commercial activities in Europe and with export customers carried out by its new commercial team under the new responsibilities as Vega C launch service provider. This win undoubtedly demonstrates Vega C competitiveness in both the European and export markets. We look forward to impressing our customers and deliver against their expectations”.The satellites to be launched will be used for Earth observation, environmental monitoring and resource management purposes for civil and scientific applications, providing high-resolution imagery as well as best-in-class geolocation accuracy. The passengers will feature a mass ranging from more than 400 to more than 1,000 kilograms and will be deployed into a ~500 km Sun-synchronous orbit.These contracts totally secure over EUR 100 million for launch services to be scheduled between 2028 and 2031.
2027TBD - Space Rider flight 1 - Vega C+ - Kourou ELV
P160C ... Its debut on the Vega-C rocket is currently planned in 2028 with Space Rider.
2028TBD - ClearSpace-1 - Vega C - Kourou ELV
2030TBD - ArgoNET (Argonaut first missiion) - Ariane 64 Block 3 (TBD) - Kourou ELA-4
"the first operational mission, ArgoNET, will be deployed, with a planned launch in 2031"
Arianespace @ArianespaceTeams are now moving through the major milestones toward the very first Ariane 6 launch for @AmazonLeo, scheduled for February: (2/5)
2026NET Q1 - TBD - Vega C+ (inaugural flight) - Kourou ELV...2028NET H1 - Space Rider flight 2 - Vega C+ - Kourou ELV
A shared solid-fuel booster upgrade that will be used for the first time aboard an Ariane 6 rocket later this year will not be introduced aboard Vega C until 2028. The European Space Agency says the delay reflects the requirements of the smaller rocket’s launch manifest and the need to prioritise early P160C production for Ariane 6.
The Airbus UpNext SpaceRAN demonstrator will test the 5G connection on two different platforms. The first is a ground demonstration that will simulate a two-satellite constellation in low-Earth orbit (LEO), testing key features like beam and satellite handovers, which are crucial for maintaining smooth and continuous connection. The second is an in-orbit demonstration that will place a 5G non-terrestrial network payload on an Airbus LEO satellite, to act as a 5G base station in space. This phase is scheduled to launch in 2027, with in-orbit testing scheduled for 2028.
The European Space Agency (ESA) invites European Launch Service Providers, Brokers and Integrators to express their interest in providing launch and deployment opportunities for satellites participating in the educational Fly Your Satellite! programme. Interested parties are requested to respond to this Request For Information (RFI) before 27 February 2026, 18:00 CET.Form FactorExpected readiness Inclination Max altitude 3U+ (tuna can) CubeSat Q2-Q3 2027Polar [SSO preferred]518 km (deployed)1U CubeSatQ1-Q2 2027> 36°529 km3U+ (tuna can)CubeSatQ3 2027> 40°[SSO preferred]510 km2U CubeSatQ3-Q4 2027> 52°520 km1U CubeSatQ3 2028SSO514 km2 x 1P PocketQubeQ3 2027> 41° [SSO preferred] 541 km2P PocketQubeQ3 2027> 45°549 km
ESA’s Comet Interceptor mission moves up launchJanuary 14, 2026ESA’s Comet Interceptor mission, designed to fly by a long-period comet, had been scheduled to launch on an Ariane 6 alongside Ariel, an ESA mission to study exoplanet atmospheres. That shared launch was planned for the second half of 2029, even though Comet Interceptor is expected to be ready in 2028.At a Jan. 14 meeting of NASA’s Small Bodies Assessment Group in Baltimore, Michael Kueppers, ESA project scientist for Comet Interceptor, said a recent schedule review of Ariel pushed its launch readiness date to the second half of 2031, leaving Comet Interceptor facing a three-year delay.[...]As a result, the mission explored alternative launch options. The preferred alternative is to launch on an Ariane 64 as a co-passenger with a commercial communications satellite headed to geostationary orbit. After deploying the commercial spacecraft, the Ariane upper stage would send Comet Interceptor toward the Earth-sun L1 Lagrange point, from which it would drift to the L2 point.Kueppers said the alternative launch plan was approved by ESA’s Science Programme Committee in December, and the agency is now working with Arianespace to identify a launch opportunity between August 2028 and July 2029.[...]
The PRELUDE mission marks a transformative milestone for European space operations, serving as a pivotal step in validating critical technologies for in-orbit life extension and active debris removal (ADR).[...]The mission will put cutting-edge space manoeuvres and relative navigation technologies to the test in real-life conditions. The two small spacecraft will be working together in orbit, carrying out complex manoeuvres. They’ll use highly accurate tracking and clever navigation systems that combine sensors and cameras, allowing them to move with complete freedom in every direction.
The mission timeline is designed to ensure that both satellites are launched in June 2027, providing sufficient margin to validate all key technologies required for the Phoenix mission.
NET June - MTG-I2 - Ariane 64 - Kourou ELA-4
Scheduled for launch in 2026, MTG-I2 will fly as the sole payload on Ariane 62, a shift from the originally planned Ariane 64.
In addition, in April-May, we will witness the first flight of this heavy version with the new, more powerful P160C boosters, qualified last December to guarantee even more performance for Ariane 6.
