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08 Oct 25. Thales Alenia Space opens advanced satellite facility in Rome. The facility will employ advanced digital and robotic/cobotic systems to develop satellites for various applications. Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, has officially opened its new manufacturing facility, dubbed the Space Smart Factory, in Rome, Italy. The manufacturing plant is situated within the Tecnopolo Tiburtino innovation hub, which hosts 150 companies. This new factory represents one of the largest digital and reconfigurable production sites for satellite manufacturing in Europe. It is equipped with advanced digital and robotic technologies, enabling the construction of a broad spectrum of satellites for various applications. The inauguration of the factory was attended by Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Enterprises and Made in Italy Minister Adolfo Urso, among others. The Space Smart Factory has the capability to produce more than 100 satellites annually, equating to approximately two every week. This output can be scaled up depending on market needs. Thales Alenia Space president and CEO Hervé Derrey said: “Leveraging the latest technologies, the Space Smart Factory will enhance Thales Alenia Space’s production capacity and its global competitiveness as a leading player in Europe’s space industry. In that sense, our company will even more support European and national sovereign programmes as well as the continent’s major space ambitions, including in large constellations.” According to Thales Alenia Space, the factory features modular cleanrooms and advanced digital tools. Its design allows for flexible reconfiguration to accommodate diverse production requirements. The integration and testing capabilities cover a wide array of satellite types. These include those used for Earth observation, navigation, space telecommunications, and even automated vehicles and in-orbit servicing demonstrators. The factory employs technologies such as digital twin models, virtual and augmented reality, integrated simulators, and advanced automation with robots and cobots. Thales Alenia Space said that the assembly and integration areas of the factory have been completed. The facility is set to increase production capacity at the Rome site significantly and is planning to hire additional skilled staff. The first projects scheduled for integration in the new cleanrooms include the Sicral 3 defense satellite, Galileo constellation satellites, and Copernicus programme satellites like ROSE-L and CIMR. The Space Smart Factory represents an investment exceeding €100m, supported by funds from the Italian Space Agency through National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) funds as well as substantial contributions from Thales and Leonardo. Operations at the new hub are expected to commence by the end of 2025, starting with work on the Sicral 3 satellite for the Italian Defense Ministry. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
06 Oct 25. European major satellite venture still needs some time to finalise, source says. A framework agreement between France’s Airbus (AIR.PA) and Thales (TCFP.PA) and Italy’s Leonardo (LDOF.MI) to create a major new European satellite manufacturer will still require some weeks, a source told Reuters on Monday. The person familiar with the matter said key details remain under discussion and that the boards of the three companies are working to reach a unified position. Talks between the aerospace companies encountered a setback after existing partners Thales and Leonardo asked for more time, French daily La Tribune reported. Leonardo declined to comment. Thales did not immediately reply to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Airbus said: “Talks with our partners continue and are confidential in nature; it is too early to comment further”. (Source: Reuters)
06 Oct 25. ESA Inaugurates Deep Space Antenna in Australia. The European Space Agency (ESA) has expanded its capability to communicate with scientific, exploration and space safety missions across our Solar System with the inauguration of a new 35-m diameter deep space antenna – the fourth for Estrack, ESA’s deep space tracking network. Located in New Norcia, about 115 km north of Perth, Western Australia, the ‘New Norcia 3’ antenna will help meet the agency’s fast-increasing data download needs and secure Europe’s independence and leadership in space. Speaking at the inauguration on 4 October, Josef Aschbacher, Director General of ESA, said: “This strategic investment reinforces ESA’s deep-space communication capabilities and maximises the return of our missions’ most valuable asset: data delivered from spacecraft voyaging far from Earth. New and exciting opportunities between the European and Australian space sectors are opening up with Australia announcing this week a mandate to begin negotiations on a cooperative agreement with ESA.” Started in 2021 and delivered on schedule, this construction is the result of the outstanding capabilities of ESA, European and Australian industry, and excellent cooperation with our Australian partners. When the new deep space antenna enters service in 2026, it will support ESA’s current flagship missions flown as part of the agency’s scientific, exploration and space safety fleets, including Juice, Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo, Mars Express and Hera, and will be a critical enabler for upcoming missions including Plato, Envision, Ariel, Ramses and Vigil. The new antenna, as part of the Estrack network, will also serve ESA’s efforts towards international collaboration. As part of mutual cross-support arrangements with the agency’s partners, the new antenna can support other space agencies such as NASA, Japan’s JAXA, and India’s ISRO as well as commercial space missions, boosting science return and operational efficiency for all parties involved. ESA’s fourth deep space antenna, the second one on the site at New Norcia, is the most technologically sophisticated antenna to date. It incorporates advanced deep space communication capabilities, including components cryogenically cooled to around -263°C, near absolute zero. This sensitivity allows it to detect extremely weak signals from distant spacecraft and to maximise data return. For transmission, a 20kW radio-frequency amplifier enables transmission of commands to spacecraft ms and even billions of kilometres away from Earth. The antenna also features advanced clock and timing systems and world-class radio frequency communication tools and techniques to support deep space communication.
A symbol of ESA partnership with Australia
Opened in 2003, ESA’s Estrack station at New Norcia, Western Australia, demonstrates ESA’s strong engagement in the Asia-Pacific region and especially Australia, part of the long-term cooperation between ESA and Australia in the space domain. It enables significant economic, technological and scientific benefits for both partners, and will pave the way for further collaboration in areas such as communications, space safety and mission operations.
Enrico Palermo, Head of the Australian Space Agency, ASA, said: “Australia is well known as a trusted, experienced and capable operator in deep-space communications. This investment by ESA and the Australian Government will unlock ms of dollars in local economic value as well as employment over the projected lifetime of 50 years. It’s another chapter in the story of Australian and European partnership in space, which we will grow further as we begin to negotiate a new Cooperation Agreement between Australia and ESA,” he added.
The inauguration ceremony was led by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher alongside Enrico Palermo, Head of the Australian Space Agency, and Rolf Densing, ESA Director of Operations, together with Stephen Dawson, the Western Australia Minister for Regional Development, Ports, Science and Innovation, Medical Research and the Kimberley, with Sabine Winton, Western Australia Minister for Education, Early Childhood, Preventative Health and the Wheatbelt, in attendance. The new antenna has an estimated construction cost of EUR 62.3 m, covering antenna procurement and construction as well as upgrades to station buildings and services, with a contribution of EUR 3 m from the Australian Space Agency allocated to the evolution of the New Norcia Station. Construction was led by European industry, with Thales Alenia Space (France) and Schwartz Hautmont Construcciones Metálicas (Spain) as co-prime contractors. A significant portion of the budget was spent in Australia with the involvement of several Australian companies including TIAM Solutions, Thales Australia, Fredon and Westforce Construction.
“This new deep-space antenna is a cornerstone for European and Australian space industries,” said Hervé Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space. “Its inauguration demonstrates our capacity to build strategic, world-class space infrastructure anywhere. It required implementing advanced technologies and shows we are able to deliver the mission operations infrastructure that enables European scientists to go where they wish to explore. Alongside Schwartz Hautmont and mtex antenna technology, we are very proud of this first major success for the E-DSA² consortium.”
A new antenna at ESA’s New Norcia ground station
New Norcia provides a strategic geographical position allowing around-the-clock coverage for deep space missions, with a perfect complement to ESA’s stations in Malargüe (Argentina) and Cebreros (Spain). Once the new addition is made operational, New Norcia will become ESA’s first ground station equipped with two deep space antennas. ESA’s ground station and antennas in New Norcia are locally operated by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency. CSIRO similarly operates NASA’s deep space communication complex located at Tidbinbilla near Canberra. Western Australia is also the location over which payloads launching from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, separate from their launcher. Located a few hundred metres from the deep space antennas, a smaller, more agile 4.5-metre antenna tracks Vega-C and Ariane 6 rockets and acquires critical telemetry used to monitor the in-flight status of those launch vehicles. The station also hosts a custom-built transponder antenna to calibrate the measurements of ESA’s Biomass mission, launched in 2025. The Biomass Calibration Transponder will be visited a couple of times per year by the satellite over the course of its five-year survey of Earth’s forests. (Source: ASD Network)
06 Oct 25. Neuraspace, one of the largest European providers of space domain awareness (SDA) solutions, has announced its increased investment and renewed commitment to the defence and civil protection sector with the launch of “Neuraspace DEF”. Moving beyond passive and towards active and autonomous control, the new system is designed to strengthen resilience and provide rapid, autonomous responses to the growing range of risks and threats facing space assets – many of which directly affect critical infrastructure on Earth. These risks and threats include jamming and spoofing of communications and navigation, cyberattacks on satellites and control stations, collisions with space debris, anti-satellite weapons (ASAT), orbital espionage, and potentially intrusive orbital technologies.
“The rising geopolitical tensions, with their potential impact on Europe’s critical space and ground infrastructure, underline the importance of space as a domain to be safeguarded,” said Chiara Manfletti, CEO of Neuraspace. “With Neuraspace DEF, we aim to combine innovation and operational excellence to provide Europe with trusted capabilities that contribute to resilience, civil protection, and peacekeeping. Our mission is to be the reference European platform for autonomous space operations.”
Neuraspace DEF combines artificial intelligence, integrated sensors, both terrestrial and space, and data analysis automation. It allows:
- Real-time detection and analysis of non-cooperative objects, including suspicious approaches or unexpected manoeuvres by satellites;
- High-precision tracking of national and allied space assets to strengthen critical infrastructure protection;
- Automatic alerts when unauthorized objects enter sensitive zones or overfly strategic regions;
- Provision of actionable data for tactical and operational decision-making in military contexts;
- Continuous and predictive monitoring of the space environment to anticipate risks before they escalate.
Neuraspace’s innovative solution for active and autonomous control will also ensure:
- Operational continuity of satellites, even without contact with the ground;
- Autonomous evasive manoeuvres in the face of hostile behaviour;
- Resilience against jamming, spoofing and cyberattacks;
- Automatic collision prediction and avoidance;
- Constant surveillance and coordinated reaction between satellites;
- Reduced dependence on external trading systems.
“As space becomes ever more central to both security and daily life, the demand for advanced SDA solutions grows”, Manfletti said. “Meeting this challenge requires operations that are more effective and also increasingly autonomous, to ensure safety and stability and for peacekeeping in and from orbit.”
Neuraspace’s existing undertakings in the defence sector include a collaboration with the Portuguese Air Force, and a participation in EMISSARY, the European Union’s (EU) largest investment co-funded with a committed €158 m, in space situational awareness (SSA). As part of EMISSARY, Neuraspace will provide its core competency in SDA and act as the national coordinator for Portugal1.
01 Oct 25. Eutelsat and Tusass expand strategic partnership to bring resilient OneWeb LEO connectivity to Greenland. Tusass, Greenland’s national provider of telecommunications services, has signed a strategic multi-year agreement to bring Eutelsat’s OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity to Greenland. The expanded partnership will enable the delivery of secure and resilient communications across the country’s vast and remote territory. Through this partnership, Tusass will leverage Eutelsat’s OneWeb network to address a wide range of connectivity needs—from community broadband access to mission-critical infrastructure, including maritime, mobility, and emergency services. The deployment supports Tusass in delivering on its strategic objectives for digital inclusion, infrastructure integration, and sovereign capacity across Greenland. Eutelsat’s OneWeb satellites operate in a polar orbit, enabling seamless high-latitude coverage and ensuring low latency, high-speed connectivity in Arctic conditions. This capability is especially critical for Greenland, where many areas lack access to terrestrial infrastructure. OneWeb’s proven resilience in challenging environments such as Northern Canada further underscores its reliability across similarly remote Arctic regions. As resilience and sovereignty become top priorities for Arctic and European nations, this partnership reinforces Eutelsat’s role as a trusted enabler of secure, sovereign-grade connectivity solutions.
Cyril Dujardin, President of the Connectivity Business Unit at Eutelsat, said, “Critical infrastructure has become a key focus area across Europe, and we are delighted to continue our work with Tusass to support its efforts in connecting remote communities, backbone infrastructure, and enabling essential services such as rescue operations and maritime security and safety. Our expanded partnership highlights the growing relevance of LEO for both resiliency and redundancy, and for meeting the evolving sovereign and commercial connectivity needs of remote regions. As Arctic nations seek to reinforce their infrastructure Eutelsat delivers a unique capability to connect communities and critical systems, wherever they are.”
Toke Binzer, Tusass Chief Executive Officer added, “Greenland presents one of the world’s most complex connectivity challenges. By partnering with Eutelsat and its OneWeb LEO solution, we are strengthening our ability to meet the needs of our people and institutions — from everyday internet access to robust national communications infrastructure. This agreement reflects our commitment to resilient, future-proof connectivity that serves all society.” (Source: Satnews)
30 Sep 25. Rocket Lab + Synspective sign another 10-launch contract. Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) has secured a second, multi-launch contract with Synspective, a leading Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite data and analytics company. The new contract for a further 10 dedicated Electron launches brings the total number of upcoming Synspective missions to 21 – marking the largest order of dedicated Electron missions with a single customer to date. Following the first launch agreement announced in June of 2024, this second multi-launch contract within 18 months further solidifies Electron’s international expansion and leadership of the small lift launch market globally. This latest contract secures the launch of 21 StriX SAR satellites across multiple missions through to the end of the decade. Rocket Lab has been Synspective’s sole launch provider to-date, successfully deploying six StriX satellites across six dedicated launches from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The next 21 Synspective launches will occur from the same launch site, with Rocket Lab’s schedule flexibility, tailored launch service, and streamlined operations central to Synspective’s decision to extend its previous, multi-launch contract. Electron’s reliability, proficiency at executing against rapid timelines, and satellite deployment accuracy to within meters of its target, has made it the commercial launch vehicle of choice for satellite operators wanting to build out their constellations with precision. The majority of Electron launches this year have either been the continuation of multi-launch contracts with commercial constellation customers, or have completed the entire deployment of a constellation in less than a year.”
Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, said, “Regular and reliable launch on a flexible schedule is essential to the build out of Synspective’s constellation, and Electron has been integral to this from the start as the sole launcher of all StriX satellites in space today. It’s an honor to add another 10 StriX satellites to Electron’s launch manifest and continue our long-standing partnership with Synspective.
Synspective founder and CEO, Dr. Motoyuki Arai, said, “Rocket Lab’s precision and track record have consistently enabled us to stay on schedule and achieve our mission objectives. As we move forward with 21 launches, our continued collaboration is crucial to accelerating the deployment of our SAR satellites and the growth of our data platform.” (Source: Satnews)
01 Oct 25. Rocket Lab HASTE’s suborbital flight of JUSTIN mission launched on Tuesday from Wallops. Rocket Lab successfully launched its HASTE launch vehicle from Launch Complex 2 on Wallops Island, Virginia, on Tuesday, September 30th, for an undisclosed customer. The mission was Rocket Lab’s 4th HASTE launch overall. Photo captured by Satnews. A suborbital variant of Electron — the world’s most frequently launched small orbital rocket — HASTE includes much of the same innovative technology as Electron, including carbon fiber composite structures and 3D printed rocket engines, but has a modified upper Kick Stage tailored for hypersonic technology tests and a larger payload capacity of up to 700 kg / 1,540 lbs. HASTE can deploy technologies at speeds of more than 7.5km per second to test air-breathing, glide, and ballistic payloads, as well as technologies to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere from space. Combined, the HASTE and Electron launch vehicles have deployed 200+ payloads for government and commercial customers to date.
Rocket Lab’s HASTE suborbital flight of JUSTIN mission now set for Tuesday launch
JUSTIN is the mission name for a Rocket Lab HASTE suborbital flight, scheduled to launch on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at 4:45 PM – 10:00 PM PDT, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia. The “JUSTIN” mission uses Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket in a suborbital configuration under its Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) program to test hypersonic technology for the U.S. government. The HASTE vehicle is a modified suborbital variation of the Electron to offer fast, affordable test opportunities for hypersonic technology (flight at speeds of Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, or greater). The tests are for the development of U.S. military hypersonic weapons, that include cruise missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles (HGV) that are a type of warhead for ballistic missiles that can maneuver and glide at hypersonic speed. The tests include air-breathing engines, thermal protection systems, and guidance components. (Source: Satnews)
29 Sep 25. Sierra Space said that it has completed the critical design review (CDR) for the US Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tranche 2 Tracking Layer (T2TRK). This milestone marks the company’s technical readiness to commence production of advanced missile tracking satellites designed for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). Sierra Space is set to supply two orbital planes consisting of 18 satellites, as per the $740m prime contract signed in January 2024. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
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Founded in 2017, MatrixSpace is creating the next generation of artificial intelligence enabled sensing solutions to digitize the outdoors beyond the limits of human perception.
The company combines novel artificial intelligence and radar technologies to identify movement and provide context in real-time. MatrixSpace sensors are the smallest, lightest and most portable high-performance systems on the market powered by AI. They deliver actionable insights that empower a broad range of public and private enterprises to protect assets and maintain safety with superior situational awareness.
For the modern, mobile battlespace, MatrixSpace provides both high performance 4D radar and jam-resistant mesh networked communications engineered to perform in the harshest conditions—day or night, in any weather, and in remote, rugged locations. Designed for flexibility, our radar systems can be integrated with tactical vehicles or mounted on structures like buildings, TOCs, or stanchions. Offering 360° coverage, they provide unmatched field-of-view advantages, while low energy consumption allows for solar/battery-powered operation in off-grid environments at twice the duration and a fraction the cost of alternatives. The MatrixSpace AI platform removes clutter and classifies objects, so operators can act confidently without specialized radar expertise.
The MatrixSpace expeditionary radar kit fits in a standard daypack and contains everything needed to deliver actionable detections to an ATAK mobile device in less than 5 mins.
MatrixSpace solutions are designed and developed in the United States, without ITAR export restrictions, manufactured under the highest ISO and IATF standards and rigorously tested for quality, reliability and compliance.
Visit maxtrixspace.com
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