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Recapping the First Six Months of 2022 in Space

We’ve made it halfway through 2022. The year has flown by, but it’s been filled with big news and firsts for the space industry. Here’s our recap of the off-Earth goings-on during these last six months. Q1 The year started off with a bang as JWST unfolded successfully, reached its new home a million miles…

BusinessEuropeInternationalLaunch

VOS closes €10M series A and rebrands to Latitude

French launch startup Venture Orbital Systems (VOS) has closed a €10M ($10.4M) Series A. The round was led by Crédit Mutuel Innovation and Expansion, which were joined by BPI, Comat, Nicomatic, and ADF. VOS is developing its two-stage Zephyr launch vehicle capable of deploying 100+ kg payloads to LEO. The company is currently targeting 2024…

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ESA taps Airbus for €160M FORUM contract

The European Space Agency has inked a €160M ($168M) contract with Airbus UK for the agency’s ninth Earth Explorer mission. The FORUM satellite is slated to launch in 2027 and will measure radiation emitting from the Earth into Space. The science: FORUM (Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring) will be the first satellite to observe…

BusinessEuropeInternationalLaunch

Isar bolsters launch manifest with D-Orbit contract

Italy’s D-Orbit and Germany’s Isar Aerospace have inked a launch services deal. The mission will be launched aboard the German launch startup’s two-stage Spectrum rocket from Norway’s Andøya Space no earlier than 2023. D-Orbit offers “last-mile” space transportation services via its ION Satellite Carrier. The orbital transfer vehicle is capable of deploying several satellites into…