Latest news with #EuropeanLauncherChallenge
Broadcast Pro
7 days ago
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
ESA selects five companies for first stage of European Launcher Challenge
The European Launcher Challenge is part of ESAs preparation for future European space transportation services, promoting a greater choice of European launch services and increased competitiveness. The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced the five companies selected to move forward in the European Launcher Challenge, an initiative aimed at fostering independent European launch capabilities. The preselected companies are Germanys Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg, Spains PLD Space, Frances MaiaSpace and the UKs Orbex. The challenge, launched after ESAs Council meeting in Seville in November 2023, officially opened for proposals in March 2025. During the Paris Air Show in June, ESA confirmed that it had received a total of 12 submissions. The five shortlisted companies were announced on 7 July following an evaluation based on several criteria, including technical and business maturity, sustainability, alignment with institutional market needs, and adherence to ESAs procurement rules. With the preselection complete, ESA will now enter discussions with each of the selected companies and their respective Member States. These talks aim to shape the proposals in preparation for ESAs Ministerial-Level Council Meeting (CM25) scheduled for later this year. At CM25, Member States are expected to decide on funding commitments for the initiative. Once funding decisions are made, ESA will issue a Phase 2 call for proposals, open exclusively to the five preselected companies. Final contracts will be awarded following an additional round of evaluation. Successful candidates may receive contracts covering two key components. The first, Component A, involves providing launch services for ESA institutional missions between 2026 and 2030. Component B focuses on advancing launch capabilities, including at least one demonstration flight. ESA has proposed a maximum budget of 169m per challenger to support all activities under both components. Unlike traditional ESA programmes that follow the geo-return principleallocating contracts in proportion to a Member States financial contributionthis challenge adopts a different approach. ESA has preselected the contenders independently, and it is now up to each host country to determine whether it will financially support its respective national candidate. This setup places Germany in a potentially difficult position, as it must decide whether to fund one or both of its selected companies.
Zawya
07-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
PLD Space preselected by ESA for the European Launcher Challenge
Funded with €169 million, the ELC is one of the largest space contracts ever involving Spain and will be awarded following ESA's Ministerial Conference in November PLD Space's proposal, fully aligned with its technological roadmap presented in October 2024, includes the MIURA 5 and its future large reusable launcher, MIURA Next Elche (Spain). PLD Space, an international space services company with vertical integrated engineering and manufacturing, has been preselected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to participate in the European Launcher Challenge (ELC), the largest European program aimed at fostering new sovereign launch capabilities on the continent. ESA officially launched the ELC this year as a strategic initiative that will award up to €169 million per company in its final phase. The program is structured in two components: contracts for launch services of ESA institutional missions between 2026 and 2030, and a development track requiring a demonstration of enhanced launch capacity by 2028. The final selection of companies will be announced at ESA's Ministerial Conference to be held in Bremen this November. A proposal fully aligned with PLD Space's technological roadmap PLD Space formally submitted its proposal to the European Launcher Challenge with a plan that perfectly aligns with its technological roadmap through 2030, which the company publicly presented on October 7, 2024 during its Beyond event—prior to ESA's announcement of the challenge. In this context, PLD Space has positioned the MIURA 5 as the first operational element of the program, and its future large reusable launcher, MIURA Next, as the second pillar to address Europe's institutional needs and ensure competitive, sustainable access to space. An industrial driving force for Europe and for Spain The MIURA program is a clear industrial driving force. Through ESA's preselection for the ELC, PLD Space represents a unique opportunity for Spain to have a national prime leading the launcher industry, with a value chain made up of 397 partners, largely anchored in Spain and across Europe. Moreover, the ELC exemplifies a new model of public-private collaboration in Europe, similar to what is already underway in Spain with the Aerospace PERTE program, under which the government—through CDTI—has awarded PLD Space €42 million to develop the country's first national launcher. ' The European Launcher Challenge marks a milestone for Europe's space industry, but it is also a unique national opportunity to have a Spanish prime leading launcher development. Our project directly impacts the entire value chain, mobilizes cutting-edge technology, and places Spain at the center of Europe's future access to space,' said Ezequiel Sánchez, Executive President of PLD Space. About PLD Space PLD Space is an international space services company with its own engineering and manufacturing. It is dedicated to transporting satellites and people to space, vertically integrating the engineering, testing, manufacturing, and operations of its reusable and sustainable rockets. Headquartered in Elche (Spain) and founded in 2011 by Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, PLD Space has established itself as a benchmark in the space launcher sector globally. Its MIURA family of launchers and its LINCE manned capsule position the company as a leader in European technological sovereignty in space transport, covering the entire range of space missions. With a team of more than 300 employees and more than 12,500 m² dedicated to advanced manufacturing, PLD Space manages facilities in Teruel, Kourou (French Guiana) and Duqm (Oman), allowing it to offer complete satellite launch services and other payloads to space. For more information: Maria Climent, Head of Communication at PLD Space Burson
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
European Space Agency launches competition to find its next commercial rocket by 2028
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The European Space Agency has kicked off a competition to support the development of new launch vehicles and boost Europe's access to space. The agency issued the call for proposals for the European Launcher Challenge (ELC) on Monday, March 24. Companies have just six weeks to submit their proposals, with a deadline of May 5, with up to 169 million euros ($183 million) to be made available to each selected launcher. ESA and Europe are currently served by the Ariane 6 and Vega rockets, but the agency is opening up launches to competition from new companies in response to the global trend of new and reusable commercial launch vehicles cutting the cost of launch. "The European Launcher Challenge is a two-stage competitive tender to select a number of European launch services," ESA said in a statement announcing the challenge. The ELC is open to companies based in ESA or European Union member states. Component A is for launch services for ESA and other European institutional customers across 2026 to 2030, while component B calls for a "launch service capacity upgrade demonstration" that will require the upgraded launcher to fly by 2028. Companies must submit proposals covering both components. There are already a variety of emerging launch vehicles in Europe which have been working towards their first orbital launches and are likely already well-positioned to enter the contest. In January, a number of companies — Rocket Factory Augsburg, Latitude, HyImpulse, MaiaSpace, Orbex and The Exploration Company — published an open letter to ESA ahead of its finalizing of the details of the ELC. The letter called for substantial funding and access to launch pads at the European spaceport in French Guiana, South America. RELATED STORIES: — Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket launches on long-awaited debut mission (video) — European spaceflight companies are racing to be the first to reach orbit — Europe's 1st commercial rocket by RFA explodes on test stand at Scotland spaceport Other European launch companies likely to be in the mix include PLD Space of Spain, Skyrora from the United Kingdom, and Germany's Isar Aerospace, whose first Spectrum rocket currently sits on the pad at Norway's Andøya Spaceport with a launch attempt planned for March 28. Europe is set to see its demand for launch services grow. Guillaume de la Brosse, head of the unit in charge of Space Policy at the European Commission, said in November that the European Union will be launching more satellites due to projects like the IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) communications constellation.
