Europe
Stories on the European space industry
Op-Ed: Space Trends to Watch in 2026
2026 has a chance to become an inflection point where commercial expansion, AI integration, and sovereign partnerships could collide to redefine what the next decade of space looks like.
Top 5 of 2025: Europe
This year, Europe took major steps to break out on its own in space, including investing in sovereign tech, forging new relationships, and gaining an appreciation for dual-use hardware.
2025 Europe in Review
We built a word cloud based on the 100+ stories Payload ran on the European space industry this year, and one theme jumped out immediately: a lot of forward-looking language.
ICEYE, Rheinmetall Land €1.7B German Defense Contract
The joint venture owned by Finnish EO firm ICEYE and German arms maker Rheinmetall has turned on its money-printing machine.
PLD Space Outlines its Plans for €169M in ELC Funds
The real value of the ELC, according to Raúl Verdú, PLD’s chief business development officer, is the doors the challenge opens for PLD to extract knowledge from ESA.
SatVu Plans to Target Data Center Market with HotSat-2
Even without a satellite in orbit, SatVu is giving investors a behind-the-scenes look at hot spots they’re going to be tracking in the future.
Norwegian, German Firms Partner on New Defense Sats
The two companies announced plans this week to build a sovereign ISR and communications constellation with the goal of deploying by 2029.
VC Investors Plan for a Rich Space Future in London
The inaugural Space Investment Conference kicked off in London this week, bringing together founders and investors to discuss the financial future of the space industry—which now has more money than ever.
New UKSA Grant May Bring Fresh Air to Moon Astronauts and Their Rockets
No air on the Moon? No problem.
Breaking Down Europe’s Launch Funding
ESA states pledged €902.2M as part of the European Launcher Challenge to fund five launch companies’ attempts to reach orbit.
ESA Keeps the Door Open for More Defense Funding
ESA plans to keep subscriptions for a new defense initiative open for the next year, which usually finalizes funding at the close of each three-year ministerial meeting.
ESA Secures Record Funding Levels at 2025 Council of Ministers
ESA member states approved €22.07B in total contributions covering the next three years of ESA operations—up from €16.9B in 2022.
