Posidònia and Hyperion GR-1 are the first two satellites in Open Cosmos’s OpenConstellation 1.0 Earth-observation constellation.

Hyperion GR-1 was built for Greece’s Ministry of Digital Governance.

Posidònia is the first satellite developed entirely for the Balearic Islands.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha is aimed primarily at the small satellite market.

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha is a two-stage rocket designed to carry up to 1,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit.

The new Esrange launch complex will enable orbital launches directly from continental Europe using Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket.

In April 2026, the Swedish National Space Agency and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to simplify launch licensing for U.S. commercial launch vehicles operating from Sweden.

SSC Space and Firefly Aerospace have completed the main initial infrastructure for the Alpha launch site at Esrange Space Center and have moved to the construction phase for the dedicated launch pad.

The Launch Complex 3C at Esrange Space Center includes a launch control center, payload processing facility, vehicle integration building, tracking and control systems, and security and storage infrastructure.

Esrange Space Center has a favorable location for reaching polar and sun-synchronous orbits.

Sweden became the sixth country to have a Technology Safeguards Agreement with Washington.

SSC Space signed a 209 million Swedish kronor contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration to provide the Swedish Armed Forces with a national satellite launch capability from Esrange Space Center using the Alpha rocket.

The first orbital launch from Esrange Space Center is planned for 2028.

Austria is working on the European Defence Agency’s LEO2VLEO project with the Netherlands.

Aurora is one of three planned government-backed Austrian technology demonstration missions in orbit.

Austria commissioned its first military satellite in March.

A spin-off from the Austrian Academy of Sciences will provide Aurora’s quantum payload.

The LEO2VLEO project will rely on an optical payload from Austrian startup Astrosysteme.

ISISPACE is leading the LEO2VLEO project.

Austria’s second military satellite is expected to launch in 2027.

BEACONSAT is led by GATE Space.

Quantum Technology Laboratories will supply the ground link for Aurora through its optical ground station in Budapest, Hungary.

SSC Space will supply additional optical ground station links for Aurora from its global network.

The LEO2VLEO project will demonstrate Earth observation capabilities at altitudes below low Earth orbit.

BEACONSAT will demonstrate technologies to detect satellite spoofing and jamming.

R-Space is selecting a European supplier for Aurora’s optical satellite link from a shortlist of candidates.

Aurora will demonstrate space-to-ground laser communications and quantum encryption technologies.

The Austrian Ministry of Defence selected R-Space as the prime contractor for Austria’s second military satellite.

NordSpace operates a manufacturing headquarters in Markham, Ontario.

The Ottawa office is NordSpace’s fourth domestic site.

Elsa Henchiri helped author the regulatory framework underpinning the Canadian Space Launch Act.

NordSpace plans to use the Ottawa office to tap into the regional aerospace and defence talent pool.

NordSpace’s Ottawa office will manage licensing interactions with federal and provincial entities for orbital flight.

NordSpace is building the Atlantic Spaceport Complex in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Taiga test flights are intended to validate hardware systems for NordSpace’s larger orbital vehicles.

The Taiga test flights are intended to help test the regulatory and public safety frameworks developed by Elsa Henchiri.

Elsa Henchiri worked for 25 years in the federal public service before joining NordSpace.

Elsa Henchiri held senior analyst roles at the Department of National Defence and executive roles at Transport Canada.

NordSpace plans to launch a suborbital pathfinder launch vehicle named Taiga from its Newfoundland spaceport before attempting orbital flights.

Elsa Henchiri led the development of Canada’s commercial space launch safety and security program.

Elsa Henchiri will oversee NordSpace’s engagement with the NATO STARLIFT program and the Defence Industrial Strategy.

NordSpace hired Elsa Henchiri as vice-president of policy and government relations to lead its Ottawa operation.

NordSpace tests rocket engines at a 50-acre facility in Eastern Ontario.

NordSpace’s Ottawa office will manage spectrum licensing with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Elsa Henchiri most recently served as director of safety policy and intelligence at Transport Canada.

NordSpace’s Ottawa office will coordinate airspace and range management with NAV Canada.

NordSpace plans to use its Ottawa office for research and development over time.

NordSpace has opened a new Ottawa office focused on policy, regulatory compliance, and government relations.

GEMS2-Amethyst provides near-global coverage approximately every 12 hours.

The GEMS2-Amethyst radiometer measures three-dimensional atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles across a swath of nearly 1,243 miles (2,000 kilometers).