Astronomy Prints 🌌: A spaceplane for Europe?

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

A spaceplane for Europe?

09/17/2025

Follow SpaceNews' coverage from WSBW in Paris

Stay informed and ahead of what's happening next in the space industry. Subscribe to SpaceNews today for less than $5/week.

Does Europe need a spaceplane?

By Debra Werner

Europe should be investing in disruptive capabilities like spaceplanes, a French military official said Sept. 17 at the Space Defense & Security Summit.

"A spaceplane is maneuverable, reusable and flexible, so it can deliver payload in orbit, recover critical assets, conduct reconnaissance and intervene against threats in orbit," said Maj. Gen. Philippe Koffi, the strategic lead for air, land and naval combat at the French armament agency DGA.

At the Paris Air Show in June, Dassault Aviation announced an agreement with DGA to develop VORTEX, a four-meter-long spaceplane demonstrator with a mass of less than one metric ton. A first flight is expected in 2028.

Project Kuiper plots broadband services in five countries by end of March

Amazon is preparing to double the size of its Project Kuiper constellation to more than 200 satellites this year. That includes three more launches, supporting broadband services in the U.S. and four other countries, by the end of March.

ReOrbit raises 45 million euros to increase spacecraft production

Finnish spacecraft developer ReOrbit has raised 45 million euros ($53.3 million) in a Series A round to increase spacecraft production to meet growing demand from government customers. Springvest, a Finnish venture capital fund, led the round with participation from several other investors.

Small GEO strategies diverge around vertical integration

The fledgling small geostationary satellite manufacturing market is splitting across a spectrum of vertical integration strategies as companies weigh sovereignty, speed and scale in reshaping space-based communications.

Listen to the latest episode of the CEO Series on Space Minds by SpaceNews

In a special edition of Space Minds, we're at the World Space Business Week in Paris for our CEO series. In today's episode, SpaceNews' Mike Gruss talks with Redwire CEO Peter Cannito. They discuss the future of the European space market, Redwire's expanding footprint and the growing intersection of space and defense technology. From strategic acquisitions in Europe to investments in autonomy and software, Cannito outlines how Redwire is positioning itself as a nimble, mid-sized player bridging the gap between startups and aerospace giants.

Sign up for our other newsletters

First Up: The latest civil, commercial and military space news, curated by veteran journalist Jeff Foust. Delivered Monday to Friday mornings.
Military Space: Veteran defense journalist Sandra Erwin delivers news and insights for the military space professional. Delivered Tuesday.
China Report: Analysis of China's space activities and what it means as one of the United States' top competitors from correspondent Andrew Jones. Delivered every other Wednesday.
SpaceNext AI: Exploring the intersection of space and artificial intelligence. Delivered Thursday.
Video & Audio: Upcoming live programs, scheduled guests, and recent Space Minds podcast episodes, webinars and other events. Delivered Friday.
Marketing Minute: Covering PR, marketing, and advertising trends, upcoming SpaceNews opportunities, and editorial insights for communications and marketing leaders. Delivered monthly.

Subscribe to SpaceNews

This email has been sent to generalastronomy110.stnirp@blogger.com because you previously opted in to receive SpaceNews This Week from SpaceNews. Unsubscribe here. Sign up for other SpaceNews newsletters.