Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 17, 2025
BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) has announced a major expansion of its satellite constellation with the addition of a new class of multispectral, wide-area imaging satellites. The forthcoming system, known as AROS, will complement the company's existing Gen-3 constellation by enabling rapid digital mapping, navigation, maritime surveillance, and 3D digital twin applications at scale.

Image: Ariane 6 payload on board: MetOp-SG-A1 arrives in Kourou

Europe will soon be taking another leap forward in its weather forecasting capacity as the first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, satellite arrives safely at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, marking a pivotal moment on the road to launch.

This new polar-orbiting weather satellite also carries the Copernicus Sentinel-5 instrument to deliver daily global data on air pollutants and other atmospheric trace gases.

Astronomers have discovered a huge filament of hot gas bridging four galaxy clusters. At 10 times as massive as our galaxy, the thread could contain some of the Universe’s ‘missing’ matter, addressing a decades-long mystery.

The European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius attended the third day of the International Paris Air Show.  

Video: 00:12:58

Watch the replay of the call between Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General, Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, and Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, ESA project astronaut. This call took place at the Paris Air Show 2025 (Le Bourget) on 18 June. Project astronaut Uznański-Wiśniewski joined from quarantine ahead of the upcoming Ignis mission mission.

Sponsored by the Polish government and supported by ESA, the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (MRiT), and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), the Ignis mission features an ambitious technological and scientific programme. It includes several experiments proposed by the Polish space industry

Video: 00:17:03

Watch the replay of the ESA-European Commission press conference with Josef Aschbacher, Director General of ESA, and Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, held at the Paris Air Show 2025 (Le Bourget) on 18 June 2025.

Download the transcript. 

ESA is taking a significant step towards realising the Solar System Internet (SSI) - an ambitious vision made possible through global collaboration. Earlier this year, ESA launched a concurrent design activity for the SSI Node-1 mission, the world’s first mission aimed at demonstrating a reliable, routine optical communication link from the Moon to Earth.