spacetoday.net: space news from around the webin association with SpaceNews


Ministers approve ESA spending plans
Posted: Thu, Nov 27, 2008, 11:44 AM ET (1644 GMT)
ESA Ministers of member nations of the European Space Agency (ESA) approved Wednesday a €10-billion (US$13-billion) spending plan for the agency that includes support for new spacecraft and improvements to the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. The programs approved at the two-day ministerial meeting in The Hague include new Earth science and meteorological spacecraft, the former being part of a joint program with the European Union called Copernicus. Ministers also agreed to build three more ATV cargo spacecraft for the ISS and start initial studies of a new version of the ATV that could return cargo to Earth. ESA won funding to develop Vinci, a new upper stage engine for the Ariane 5, that will increase that rocket's payload capacity. The planned ExoMars rover mission to the Red Planet also got funding at the meeting, although ESA will have to seek partnerships with the US, Russia, or other nations to fully fund the mission. In addition, ESA will establish a new research center in the UK that will focus on climate change research and space robotics.
<<previous article   next article>>
news in brief
Space Force releases new warfighting doctrine
Posted: Sun, Apr 20 10:21 AM ET (1421 GMT)

Minotaur 4 launches from Vandenberg
Posted: Sun, Apr 20 10:20 AM ET (1420 GMT)

Rocket Factory Augusburg replaces CEO
Posted: Sun, Apr 20 10:17 AM ET (1417 GMT)

news links
Friday, April 25


about spacetoday.net   ·   info@spacetoday.net   ·   mailing list