Firefly Reaches Swedish Launch Site, SSC Space Signs First Defense Contract
SSC Space secured a $21.5M defense contract with Sweden's Defense Materiel Administration, with Firefly Aerospace as the launch vehicle partner. Infrastructure completion was announced on June 30, positioning U.S. orbital launch capability on mainland Europe for the first time.
Japan clears stripped-down H3 rocket for first flight in June
JAXA greenlights the H3-30 variant for June 10 launch, a three-engine configuration without solid boosters that positions Japan to compete in the low-cost medium-lift segment.
Avio launches Vega-C solo, reshaping Europe's small-lift market
Avio's first independent launch of Vega-C succeeded May 19, displacing Arianespace and validating Europe's only domestic small-to-mid-lift option against Falcon 9 rideshare competition.
ESA's Celeste IOD-1 Transmits Europe's First LEO Navigation Signal
ESA confirmed the first navigation signal from Celeste IOD-1 on April 8, a dual-frequency L- and S-band transmission from a 12U CubeSat that secures European spectrum rights before the May 2026 ITU deadline.
Avio's First Solo Flight Stalls Days Before Launch—SMILE Postponed After Integration Defect
Avio postponed the April 9 Vega-C launch of ESA's SMILE satellite on April 5 after discovering a supplier defect post-integration—the company's first independent mission since splitting from Arianespace in 2025, now at risk of missing its solar-maximum observation window.