European Space Agency

ATMOS is currently preparing for an initial test flight of its PHOENIX capsule, which is designed to host up to 100 kilograms of in-orbit experiments before returning them safely to Earth. The capsule relies on an inflatable heat shield to withstand the rigours of reentry. This initial test flight is expected to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than April 2025.

On 17 February, the company announced that it had secured €13.1 million in new funding from the EIC Accelerator Programme, comprising a non-refundable grant and an investment component. The company stated that the funding will be used to expand its engineering and testing capabilities and accelerate the development of its next-generation PHOENIX 2 capsule. In its official press release, ATMOS noted that as part of the award, it is required to complete “two PHOENIX 2 flights within a specified timeframe.”

UK-based rocket builder Orbex has revealed that it is counting on a positive outcome from its European Launch Challenge bid to fund the development of its medium-lift rocket, Proxima, citing a “challenging investment climate.”

The European Space Agency initiated the European Launcher Challenge in November 2023 to support the development of sovereign launch capabilities and, ultimately, a successor to the Ariane 6. While the exact format of the challenge has not yet been confirmed, initial reports have indicated that it will include multiple awards of €150 million each.

The European Space Agency announced Feb. 14 that John McFall, a reserve member of the agency’s astronaut corps, had been certified by a multinational medical board for long-duration missions to the ISS.

The certification is noteworthy because McFall lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident at the age of 19 and wears a prosthesis. He is the first person with such a disability to be medically approved to train for missions to the station.

“John is today certified as an astronaut who can fly on a long-duration mission on the International Space Station, and I think this is an incredible step ahead in our ambition to broaden the access to society to space,” Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s director of human and robotic exploration, said at a briefing to announce the certification.

ESA selected McFall as part of an astronaut class announced in 2022. That selection process included an effort by ESA to pick what it called at the time a “parastronaut” to see if people with some physical disabilities could safely fly to space.

Since his selection, McFall has participated in a feasibility study called “Fly!” that looked for any issues that might prevent him from going to the station, including both his health and overall safety of ISS operations.

“Let’s not underestimate all elements linked to safety procedures when you operate on the International Space Station,” said Neuenschwander. “In all honesty, I was personally expecting some eventual showstoppers there, and I’m really happy to see that we went through that and it’s behind us.”

With co-financing from the French space agency CNES, The Exploration Company kicked off the development of its Typhoon rocket engine in early 2024. According to its website, the company’s full-flow staged combustion cycle reusable rocket engine is designed to produce 200 tonnes of thrust. However, a recent LinkedIn update suggests the company has revised its projections to 250 tonnes.

On 13 February, The Exploration Company announced the successful completion of the first test campaign for the engine’s oxygen-rich pre-burner. According to the update, a total of 16 tests were conducted, including cold flow trials, hybrid ignitions, and full-firing attempts, with the company achieving approximately 16 seconds of stable combustion.

During a keynote address at the Perspectives Spatiales 2025 event in Paris, European Commissioner for Defence Industry and Space Andrius Kubilius outlined the challenging position the European space sector finds itself in.

“Commercial sales are down. Exports are down. Profits are down. And this comes at a time when we need space more than ever. For our security. For our survival.”

Commissioner Kubilius identified the continent’s sovereign access to space as vital for Europe’s strategic autonomy. While he acknowledged that introducing Ariane 6 and returning Vega C to flight were “important steps,” he highlighted the need for Europe to accelerate its work on launchers, mastering key technologies including reusability and return capabilities.

Spanish propulsion startup Arkadia Space announced a contract Feb. 11 to supply monopropellant thrusters to MaiaSpace, a French startup backed by ArianeGroup that is developing a reusable small launch vehicle.

Arkadia Space will supply 250-newton thrusters designed for the Reaction Control System of the MaiaSpace launcher.

Terrestrial facilities sign, @esa@feddit.nl #ESRIN, Tor Vergata

It is difficult to see Airbus and some of the other large, institutional space companies in Europe banding together and becoming nimble and more efficient operators in spaceflight. That would require enormous changes in companies that have decades of ossified culture, with layers of management that are difficult to cut through.