Paris, France (SPX) Jul 22, 2025
Vigil, the European Space Agency's upcoming space weather mission, will be the first satellite to maintain a continuous presence at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 5 (L5), providing an unprecedented side view of solar activity. From this strategic location, Vigil will monitor the Sun's surface several days before the same regions rotate into Earth's direct line of sight. The mission is design

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On 15 July 2025, with the splashdown of the Dragon capsule off the coast of California, the Ignis mission ended after a 20-day space journey. ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland, during nearly 230 orbits around Earth, completed about 120 hours of telework on the International Space Station and contributed to more than 20 experiments from his orbital office.

Following medical checks on the recovery vessel, Sławosz flew to shore by helicopter and then travelled from the United States to Germany in order to undergo a week of recovery at the European Astronaut Centre. Dozens of people

With launch slated for August, the first MetOp Second Generation satellite, MetOp-SG-A1, which also carries the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission, is currently undergoing final preparations for liftoff aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, head of Space Force acquisitions, said the first of several Tranche 1 launches is expected within the next month

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Part 1 of this free report explores how SpaceX upended traditional launch markets by scaling reusability, slashing costs and normalizing frequent access to orbit.