Spacecraft, Launch Vehicles & Satellites

AIRBUS AND UNSEENLABS TO BUILD FRANCE'S NEXT MILITARY SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE SATELLITES

Friday, September 11, 2026
PARIS - On the sidelines of the International Space Summit, Catherine Vautrin, France’s Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans’ Affairs, announced that the Directorate-General for Armament (DGA) had awarded the CASSIOPÉE contract to Airbus Defence and Space as the lead contractor and its co-contractor Unseenlabs, thereby initiating the renewal of France’s space-based signal intelligence (SIGINT) capability.

Airbus will act as the system integrator and provide the ground segment and control center as well as a satellite solution based on its latest-generation S250 platform, which has been used most recently for the CO3D constellation. Unseenlabs will bring its expertise in mission planning, ground and on-board processing, will deliver the ground segment, and supply an innovative payload.

By 2032, CASSIOPÉE will succeed the satellites of the CERES constellation to ensure that France retains an operational capability for space-based signal intelligence. In addition to maintaining the current capability, it will offer improved technical performance and greater responsiveness. The CASSIOPÉE space intelligence system forms the high-performance, sovereign core of the CELESTE (Space Electromagnetic Capability) program.

Space-based electromagnetic intelligence (SIGINT), through the collection and analysis of electromagnetic signals (primarily radar and telecommunications emissions), enables the detection, characterization and tracking of transmitters that may pose threats to areas of strategic interest and theatres of operation. The long-term sustainability of this capability is a matter of sovereignty: it makes a fundamental contribution to national autonomy in situation assessment and decision-making, and enables continuous strategic monitoring and operational support.

 
Eutelsat Orders 229 Additional OneWeb Satellites from Airbus

Source: Airbus


EUTELSAT ORDERS 229 ADDITIONAL ONEWEB SATELLITES FROM AIRBUS

Thursday, September 10, 2026
Eutelsat Orders 229 Additional OneWeb Satellites from Airbus

Source: Airbus


PARIS - During the International Space Summit in Paris, and in the presence of Philippe Baptiste, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space for France, Eutelsat has ordered 229 more satellites from Airbus to strengthen its OneWeb constellation.

Eutelsat has signed an Authorisation to Proceed (ATP) with Airbus Defence and Space covering initial industrial activities for these 229 satellites. They are planned in addition to the 440 satellites already procured from Airbus due for delivery and launch soon. It will bring the total of new OneWeb satellites manufactured by Airbus to 669, and will ensure and enhance service continuity of the OneWeb constellation.

The satellites will be manufactured at Airbus Defence and Space’s Toulouse facility, already actively delivering the previous batches, enabling production continuity, rapid and homogeneous delivery rate.

Eutelsat’s OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network delivers high-speed, low-latency connectivity on a global basis. With over 600 satellites flying in 12 synchronised orbital planes 1,200km above the Earth, the constellation brings high-speed internet to every corner of the planet. The availability of these latest satellites will assure full operational continuity for customers of the constellation, progressively replacing early batches coming to the end of their operational life.

This new batch will encompass all features from the previous satellites and improvements gained throughout the programme development. Notably, advanced digital channelisers, for enhanced onboard processing capabilities, efficiency and flexibility, as well as the capacity to embark hosted payloads in addition to the OneWeb Ku mission.

 
Ariane 6 Garners Significant Orders

Source: ESA/S. Corvaja


ARIANE 6 GARNERS SIGNIFICANT ORDERS

Thursday, September 10, 2026
Ariane 6 Garners Significant Orders

Source: ESA/S. Corvaja


PARIS - At the International Space Summit in Paris, Arianespace announced seven new agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering almost ten launches. Concluded with European, U.S. and Asian customers, these agreements underscore the commercial success of Ariane 6 and the launcher’s ability to meet the needs of a wide range of missions in the global market. · Seven agreements signed in two days, covering around ten Ariane 64 launches for European and international commercial customers - the largest order intake since Ariane 6 entered service.

· Amazon Leo, Eutelsat, The Exploration Company and AscendArc for KT SAT have strengthened Ariane 6’s order book, with missions ranging from constellations and geostationary satellites to space transportation.

· ICEYE, EnduroSat and AgenaSpace have signed MoUs laying the foundations for future partnerships in launch services and orbital transfer.

The announcements strengthen Ariane 6’s order book and reflect the diversity of missions served by Europe’s heavy-lift launcher. Eutelsat ordered two new Ariane 64 launches from Arianespace to support the renewal of its OneWeb constellation. Scheduled for 2027 and 2028, these missions build on a long-standing partnership between Arianespace and OneWeb, following 13 missions that placed 428 satellites into orbit between 2019 and 2022.

Amazon Leo also ordered six additional Ariane 64 launches from Arianespace, bringing the total number planned under their agreement from 18 to 24 by 2031. The new order follows three Ariane 6 missions in 2026 that placed 100 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit in less than five months. These new commitments confirm Ariane 64’s role in the large-scale deployment of satellite constellations, a market that now accounts for a substantial share of global launch demand.

Ariane 6 will also carry The Exploration Company’s Nyx space capsule on its first demonstration mission as part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ALADDIN initiative (Autonomous LEO Accelerated Demo Docking to ISS Node). The mission, flying aboard Ariane 64, highlights Ariane 6’s ability to support emerging European space transportation needs beyond satellite launches.

Ariane 6’s international footprint is also expanding in the United States and Asia. In 2028, the launcher will place into orbit the next high-throughput geostationary satellite for KT SAT, designed and built by AscendArc. Capable of delivering several hundred Gbps of capacity in the Ka-band, the satellite will help improve access to high-speed connectivity in currently underserved communities across the Asia-Pacific region.

New partnerships taking shape

In addition to these launch contracts, several MoUs with European start-ups are laying the groundwork for future partnerships involving Ariane 6. Together with ICEYE, EnduroSat and AgenaSpace, Arianespace will explore new opportunities for launches and related services. A European launcher serving a global market

Taken together, the announcements made at the International Space Summit highlight the growing range of missions served by Ariane 6, from large-scale constellation deployments and geostationary satellites to space transportation and new in-orbit services.

This growing commercial success reinforces Ariane 6’s dual role: ensuring Europe’s autonomous access to space while offering a European launch solution on the global market that can meet rapidly evolving needs.

 

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