ESA at ILA 2026 – Day 2 highlights
Thursday, 11 June 2026 14:25
From strategic discussions on autonomy and resilience to an in-flight call with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, ESA's second day at ILA Berlin International Airshow 2026 highlighted the wide-reaching value of space for Europe now and in the future.
Tilebox Launches Verifiable AI Workflows for Satellite Data
Thursday, 11 June 2026 14:00
DOVER, DELAWARE — JUNE 11, 2026 — Tilebox today announced infrastructure for verifiable AI workflows on Earth observation data, giving teams a way to use agents through governed data, repeatable […]
K2 Space, Rocket Lab win key supplier roles in Space Force satcom program
Thursday, 11 June 2026 13:00
K2 Space and Rocket Lab will supply spacecraft buses to SES and Viasat for the military's next-generation protected satcom program
GEO cancellations complicate space insurance recovery
Thursday, 11 June 2026 12:00
The recent cancellation of three geostationary satellites is another blow for insurers hoping their legacy cash cows would bring home much-needed income following a bruising run of claims.
Open Cosmos seeks deadline extension for broadband constellation
Thursday, 11 June 2026 11:43
British small satellite specialist Open Cosmos is seeking more time to deploy its proposed sovereign broadband constellation for Europe after running into launch issues.
ILA Berlin 2026: in-flight call with ESA Astronaut Sophie Adenot
Thursday, 11 June 2026 11:30
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00:19:00
ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot joined ILA Berlin 2026 live from the International Space Station for a special in-flight conversation on life and work in orbit, Europe's ambitions in human spaceflight. The call featured ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander, as well as ESA astronauts Alexander Gerst and Matthias Maurer, as well as Thomas Reiter, Head of the Space and Security Department in the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and former ESA Astronaut.
Luca Parmitano: Artemis III pilot
Thursday, 11 June 2026 11:00
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Luca Parmitano, Artemis III pilot, in his flight suit. ESA awards contract for next-generation radar imaging satellites
Thursday, 11 June 2026 10:49
Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space won contracts to build the next generation of radar imaging satellites for Europe’s Copernicus Earth observation program.
Same rocket, new boost
Thursday, 11 June 2026 10:40
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00:01:38
The eighth flight of Europe’s rocket Ariane 6 will have a bigger boost: the P120C solid-propellant rocket motor, used as Ariane 6 booster so far, has been upgraded. The new P160C flying on Ariane 6 flight VA269 offers 10% more performance to orbit.
P160C was developed by Europropulsion under contract from ArianeGroup and Avio. Just like P120C, P160C comes in three main parts, its structure is made in Italy, the rocket engine nozzle in France and the igniter in Norway.
After being shipped to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, the P160C boosters are loaded with 14 tonnes more fuel
Long March 5 launches classified satellite, Zhuque-2E lofts direct-to-device test sats
Thursday, 11 June 2026 10:36
China has conducted a pair of launches to advance its communications capabilities, using the country’s largest rocket and a commercial launcher.
ILA Berlin 2026: ESA Director General press conference
Thursday, 11 June 2026 07:00
Video:
00:26:00
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher briefed media representatives and discussed Europe's priorities in space, exploration, resilience and the future of the European space sector.
ESA science missions get green light for new discoveries
Thursday, 11 June 2026 07:00
On 10–11 June, representatives from European Space Agency (ESA) Member States met in Tenerife to make far-reaching decisions about the future of ESA’s Science Programme. Their decisions to extend current missions and adopt the next ‘fast-class’ mission, Arrakihs, underscores European leadership in, and long-term commitment to, space science.
Tracking urban expansion in hazard-prone areas
Thursday, 11 June 2026 06:15
The World Settlement Footprint (WSF) Tracker, and its dedicated online platform, have been officially released at an event at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC.


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Astris key visual 