The Italian programme IRIDE, which provides public sector services based on data from its fleet of Earth observation constellations, has added eight satellites to its second constellation, Eaglet II.

Thanks to the EU-funded Recovery and Resilience Facility, and through collaboration between the Greek government, the private satellite company ICEYE and the European Space Agency (ESA), two new high-resolution radar satellites have been launched to strengthen disaster management, environmental monitoring and national security across Greece.

The European Space Agency’s first Scout mission, HydroGNSS, was launched today, 28 November, marking a significant step in advancing global understanding of water availability and the effects of climate change on Earth’s water cycle.

The two twin HydroGNSS satellites were carried into orbit at 19:44 CET aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, as part of the Transporter-15 rideshare flight from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

ESA’s first Scout mission, HydroGNSS, was launched on 28 November 2025, marking a significant step in advancing global understanding of water availability and the effects of climate change on Earth’s water cycle.

The two twin HydroGNSS satellites were carried into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, US.

Embracing the New Space concept, HydroGNSS is one of ESA’s new Scout missions being developed within the Earth Observation FutureEO programme.

SAN FRANCISCO – Italy’s D-Orbit sent satellites and hosted payloads into orbit Nov. 26 aboard two ION orbital transfer vehicles launched on SpaceX’s Transporter-15 rideshare.

China’s space administration has published a policy blueprint aimed at accelerating development of commercial space and embedding it within its broader national space ambitions.

The ESA Council at Ministerial Level (CM25) delivered a record-breaking €22.1 billion in commitments from Member States. This is a historic achievement and a clear signal of trust in ESA’s ability to deliver success through expertise and innovation.  

On 17 December, two Galileo satellites will be launched on Ariane 6 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana in the 14th operational launch of the Galileo programme. These satellites will improve the precision, availability and robustness of the Galileo system by adding spares to guarantee the system can always provide a navigation signal for users worldwide. This will be Galileo’s first launch on Ariane 6 and the fifth launch of Europe’s heavy-lift launcher.

In a time of profound technological and geopolitical challenges, Europe will continue to support the need for secure satellite communications. This was the clear message given at the European Space Agency's (ESA) Council meeting at Ministerial Level, in Bremen, Germany.