Arianespace @ArianespaceSave the date: #Ariane6 is getting ready to launch @eumetsat ’s #MetopSGA1 on August 12, 2025 at 9:37 p.m. local time (00:37 a.m. UTC, 2:37 a.m. CET, on August 13). (1/3)
Press ReleasesArianespace to launch EUMETSAT's Metop-SGA1 satellite on August 12, 2025, with Ariane 628.07.2025 On August 12, 2025, Arianespace will place into orbit EUMETSAT's Metop-SGA1 satellite with Ariane 6. The Metop-SGA1 satellite will be the first of the next generation of European polar-orbiting weather satellites. Amongst six instruments hosted on board, it will carry the Copernicus Sentinel-5 atmospheric monitoring mission. The VA264 mission will be the second commercial flight for Europe's new heavy-lift launcher Ariane 6 With this launch, Arianespace supports a crucial environmental mission while also carrying out its commitment of guaranteeing Europe's autonomous access to space.On August 12, 2025 at 9:37 p.m. local time (00:37 a.m. UTC, 2:37 a.m. CEST, on August 13), Arianespace will launch EUMETSAT's Metop-SGA1 satellite with Ariane 6 from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.The mission, designated VA264, will be the second commercial flight for Ariane 6, the new European heavy-lift launcher. It will place its passenger, the Metop-SGA1 satellite, into Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) at an altitude of around 800 km. Spacecraft separation will occur 1 hour and 4 minutes after lift-off.The Metop-SGA1 (Second Generation A1) satellite will be the first of the next generation of European polar-orbiting weather satellites. Metop-SGA1 will host a total of six atmospheric sounding and imaging instrument missions that will provide optical, infrared, and microwave observations essential data for weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and a wide range of other services and applications. Amongst its hosts, Metop-SGA1 will carry the new Sentinel-5 atmospheric monitoring mission, part of the European Commission's Copernicus programme.The satellite will take global observation of weather and climate from a polar orbit to a new level, providing high resolution observations of temperature, precipitation, clouds, winds, sea ice, aerosols, pollution, soil moisture, volcanic dust, and a multitude of other parameters.The spacecraft was built by Airbus Defence and Space, under a contract with the European Space Agency, and will be operated throughout its lifetime by EUMETSAT, that will also distribute its data to users.The VA264 launch at a glance: 355th launch by Arianespace 3rd Ariane 6 launch and 2nd commercial flight 15th satellite launched by Arianespace for EUMETSAT 151st spacecraft built by Airbus Defence and Space launched by Arianespace 21st meteorological satellite launched by Arianespace
2026TBD - LEO-PNT demonstrator, HydroGNSS-1 (Earth Scout 2A), HydroGNSS-2 (Earth Scout 2B) - Vega C (VV??/VC??) - Kourou ELV
Launch is expected later this year on a Falcon 9 rocket.
https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-science/2025/07/24/VBMP5QOW7RAP3CXYHERBNOVGCM/Arirang 7 will be transported to the launch site in mid-September this year, where it will undergo satellite status checks, fuel injection, and integration with the launch vehicle at the Guiana Space Centre in South America, undergoing about a month of preparations before it is scheduled to be launched by Arianespace's Vega C rocket in November.
2027Rideshare:TBD - TANGO-Carbon, TANGO-Nitro - Vega C - Kourou ELV
A consortium consisting of ISISPACE (mission and satellite prime), SRON and KNMI (atmospheric science) and TNO (instruments prime) has been selected for the implementation of the TANGO mission with a schedule of three years from implementation kick-off until launch envisaged in 2028.
Following a framework agreement signed a few days ago, Infinite Orbits will provide the French Ministry of Defence with an Orbit Guard™ satellite, with a launch date of 2027. This satellite capable of GEO passive and active surveillance fits within the framework of ARES program ("Space Action and Resilience") led by the Directorate General of Armament (DGA) and for the benefit of the French Space Command (CDE).[...]Infinite Orbits will provide the French Ministry of Defence with PALADIN satellite, from its family of Orbit Guard™ servicers. This GEO microsatellites fleet is developed with a double capacity : passive surveillance with a space-based SSA set of sensors and active surveillance with proximity inspection capability. Equipped with Infinite Orbits’ patented Autonomous Navigation Vision Based solution allowing for the ability to safely rendezvous with another satellite, Orbit Guard™ satellites can approach within one kilometer of another asset in orbit. Its agility and responsiveness also derives from its size, being a micro satellite capable of proximity operations with a mass weight of approximately 100 kg. /quote]
Arianespace @Arianespace🚀 Liftoff!#Ariane6 has launched on its second commercial mission, flight #VA264.🎯 Destination: Sun-synchronous orbit.🛰 Payload: #MetopSGA1, carrying 6 instruments, including Copernicus #Sentinel5 for atmospheric monitoring. (1/2)
Quote from: AndrewM on 04/17/2025 04:38 pmLooks like this is now 2 satellites with the 1st launching in 2026.QuoteRome, 17 June 2022 – Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo 33%), and Telespazio, the joint venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%), have signed a follow-on contract with the Italian Ministry of Defense1, for the SICRAL 3 secure satellite communications system and its ground segment. This latest contract covers the development of phase D2. It continues a complex, process that started with the initial phases 0/A, followed by phases B and C and several implementation phases, leading up to the launch of SICRAL 3A by 2026 and subsequently the launch of SICRAL 3B.https://www.thalesaleniaspace.com/en/press-releases/thales-alenia-space-and-telespazio-sign-follow-contract-italian-ministry-defense [Jun 17 2022]Now targeting H1 2027 for the 1st satellite.QuoteThe Italian government will invest a total 767 million euros ($878 million) through 2028 in the programme, the documents show. Rauti said the new satellite would be launched by the first half of 2027.https://whbl.com/2025/07/31/italys-opposition-warns-against-involving-spacex-in-satellite-update/ [July 31]
Looks like this is now 2 satellites with the 1st launching in 2026.QuoteRome, 17 June 2022 – Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo 33%), and Telespazio, the joint venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%), have signed a follow-on contract with the Italian Ministry of Defense1, for the SICRAL 3 secure satellite communications system and its ground segment. This latest contract covers the development of phase D2. It continues a complex, process that started with the initial phases 0/A, followed by phases B and C and several implementation phases, leading up to the launch of SICRAL 3A by 2026 and subsequently the launch of SICRAL 3B.https://www.thalesaleniaspace.com/en/press-releases/thales-alenia-space-and-telespazio-sign-follow-contract-italian-ministry-defense [Jun 17 2022]
Rome, 17 June 2022 – Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo 33%), and Telespazio, the joint venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%), have signed a follow-on contract with the Italian Ministry of Defense1, for the SICRAL 3 secure satellite communications system and its ground segment. This latest contract covers the development of phase D2. It continues a complex, process that started with the initial phases 0/A, followed by phases B and C and several implementation phases, leading up to the launch of SICRAL 3A by 2026 and subsequently the launch of SICRAL 3B.
The Italian government will invest a total 767 million euros ($878 million) through 2028 in the programme, the documents show. Rauti said the new satellite would be launched by the first half of 2027.
https://twitter.com/ESA_EO/status/1946102638476750865ALTIUS ozone mission’s satellite platform assembled [Jul 17]QuoteWith the platform now fully assembled and testing set to begin, the ALTIUS team is on track for launch foreseen at the end of 2027. If all goes as planned, this new satellite mission will soon be orbiting Earth, eyes fixed on the fragile veil of gases that protects all life below.
With the platform now fully assembled and testing set to begin, the ALTIUS team is on track for launch foreseen at the end of 2027. If all goes as planned, this new satellite mission will soon be orbiting Earth, eyes fixed on the fragile veil of gases that protects all life below.
2026H2 - Intelsat-45 (IS-45) - Ariane 64 - Kourou ELA-4
Swissto12 has already sold five satellites and more orders are expected to be placed in the near future. The first satellite, HummingSat Intelsat-45, sold to the global satellite operator Intelsat, is scheduled for launch in 2027.
Launch Mass: 1,000 kgPayload Power: 2kWMission Length: 15 years
2026NET H2 - ClearSpace-1 - Vega C - Kourou ELV (or 2028)
2026Q4 - CO2M-A (Sentinel-7A) - Vega C - Kourou ELV
2029Q2 - CO2M-C (Sentinel-7C) - Vega C - Kourou ELVChanges on August 4
2030TBD - ARRAKIHS - Vega C - Kourou ELV (or early 2030’s)
The Sentinel 1D launch on Ariane 62 doesn't make any sence to me. The Sentinel 1 satellite wheigh 2300kg and go to ~700km SSO. Sentinel 1C was launched by Vega-C, so Vega-C has the capability to launch Sentinel-1D. But the vega manifest is full. Ariane 62 can launch about 7mT to 700km SSO. So I expect a rideshare mission. With Sentinel-1D as main payload, stacked on a rideshare ring structure.
ESA’s LEO-PNT satellites set to launch by end of year25/06/2025ESA / Applications / Satellite navigation / LEO-PNTThe European Space Agency (ESA) confirms the launch of the first two LEO-PNT satellites is planned from second half of December 2025, on a Rocket Lab Electron launcher vehicle, from New Zealand. The LEO-PNT in-orbit demonstrator mission is a pioneer mission for Europe that will advance satellite navigation concepts for resilient positioning and timing services.Approved at the ESA Council at Ministerial Level in 2022, ESA’s LEO-PNT (Low Earth Orbit Positioning Navigation and Timing) in-orbit demonstrator mission has been established to test the potential of a satellite navigation system in low Earth orbit and its contribution to a multi-layer navigation system.A 10-satellite constellation is being developed under two parallel contracts with GMV (Spain) and Thales Alenia Space (France) as prime contractors. The first two satellites of this constellation (one Pathfinder A per contract) have now secured a ride to low Earth orbit before the end of this year.The launch agreement between ESA, GMV, Thales Alenia Space and launch provider Rocket Lab was necessary to meet the scheduling requirements of the demonstrator mission. The dedicated launch with the Electron rocket will bring both satellites to their orbit at 510 km altitude. The satellites will be launched from the company’s site in New Zealand with a three month launch period starting mid-December.ESA Director of Navigation, Javier Benedicto, said: “We are thrilled to see the LEO-PNT demonstration advancing so quickly, with less than two years between mission kick-off and launch. This launch ensures the first European LEO-PNT satellites are in space before spring 2026, crucial for bringing the frequencies into use in compliance with the International Telecommunications Union.”
