1. German and French space agencies step up cooperation

German space agency DLR and CNES were side by side at a number of headline events on the show’s opening day, Monday 16 June. Our two agencies notably signed a statement of intent laying the foundations for a new chapter in our relationship. This encompasses several joint projects in the field of critical and breakthrough technologies to serve Europe’s space sovereignty. DLR also took the opportunity to sign up to the Space4Ocean (S4O) Alliance, a global alliance seeking to preserve the world’s oceans launched at the 3^rd UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) and initiated by CNES.

2. Project underway to develop a European very-high-thrust reusable engine

ASTRE is set to propel Europe’s launchers to the stars. This ambitious initiative announced by CNES on Tuesday 17 June aims to revolutionize European space propulsion systems geared towards future heavy-lift launchers and space exploration missions. We signed a contract with ArianeGroup to devise and validate the technology building blocks for this new-generation very-high-thrust engine. Start-ups Sirius Space and Pangea are also involved in the project, illustrating CNES’s commitment to combining expertise as it seeks to spur innovation.

To be precise, the ASTRE project—for Advanced Staged-combustion Technologies for Reusable Engines—will focus on developing a full-flow staged-combustion engine capable of delivering 2,000 to 3,000 kilonewtons of thrust with throttling, in-flight restarting and reuse capabilities. The engine aims to give the French and European space industry new expertise for strategic applications.

3. ɛpsilon: name and patch revealed for astronaut Sophie Adenot’s mission

The first mission of France’s ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot to the International Space Station (ISS), scheduled for the spring of 2026, now has a name: εpsilon. The mission name and patch were announced on Friday 20 June at the Paris Air Show by French President Emmanuel Macron, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and Sophie Adenot herself, via a live link-up from the United States where she is currently in training. The name εpsilon and the patch reflect the power of small but impactful contributions, and how multiple parts unite to create a whole.

During her mission aboard the ISS, Sophie Adenot will be performing numerous scientific, technological and educational experiments led by CNES and the French space community, contributing to scientific research and inspiring young generations. Watch this space for more news coming soon!

More about the mission on the ESA website

Discover the ɛpsilon mission patch

4. European SpaceFounders accelerator announces start-up laureates

SpaceFounders is a European start-up accelerator programme open to the best and brightest European space entrepreneurs, including from the United Kingdom and Switzerland. So the announcement of the programme’s sixth class of laureates was eagerly awaited in the European space ecosystem. Unveiled on Monday 16 June, the class comprises 15 start-ups, four from France. The laureates are developing innovative technologies for applications as varied as space surveillance, earthquake forecasting and fabrication of pharmaceuticals in space.

See the class of SpaceFounders laureates (in French)

From September to December, the laureates will be in Toulouse, Munich and Turin, three European cities with a vibrant space ecosystem. The 15 start-ups will receive coaching on structuring of business growth and funding strategies, be given tours of industrial facilities and attend business meetings in Europe, thanks notably to SpaceFounders partners. Among these is ArianeGroup, which signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 16 June auguring a partnership to support European start-ups.

5. PLD Space becomes first private launch operator at Guiana Space Centre

Tuesday 17 June marked a new chapter in space history with the signature between CNES and PLD Space of a contract making it the first private firm to develop and operate its own launch infrastructure at Europe’s storied spaceport, owned by CNES and the European Space Agency (ESA).

CNES has signed a contract with this international space services company authorizing it to develop its own launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre (CSG), where its MIURA 5 launcher will start operating in 2026. This contract greenlights execution of the infrastructure project designed by PLD Space with technical support from CNES and grants legal use of land in the ELM-Diamant area, where the MIURA 5 preparation zone and launch zone will be located. PLD Space is thus paving the way for private launch services firms at the CSG, positioning itself as the most advanced operator at the base.

More about the new launch complex

6. French space sector’s decarbonization roadmap a world first

The French space sector’s first decarbonization roadmap was unveiled Wednesday 18 June by CNES, the French enterprise agency DGE and the French aerospace industries association GIFAS. At the end of 2023, the Ministry of the Economy and Finance asked CNES to lead efforts to establish a common roadmap for the space industry, aimed at measuring the sector’s national environmental footprint and committing to reducing it. The roadmap marks a world first and is the result of voluntary and constructive collaboration between the sector’s stakeholders, based on the current state of knowledge. No such rigorous assessment of the space sector’s carbon footprint had ever been done before.

2023 will be the benchmark for calculating the carbon footprint and charting a course towards decarbonization. The ambition is to reach significant goals by 2040, with a longer-term vision through to 2050.

See the roadmap

7. CNES and Paris fire and rescue service join forces to develop cutting-edge technologies

CNES and the Paris fire and rescue service (BSPP) announced Wednesday 18 June a unique partnership to accelerate development of cutting-edge technologies, share disruptive expertise and test solutions in tough and demanding real-world conditions. This unique collaboration combines CNES’s space expertise with the operational know-how of BSPP in extreme situations. The stated aim is to explore new horizons, spanning fire management in confined spaces to autonomous robotics, miniaturization of medical tools and human performance optimization.

Several initiatives will be launched this year, like testing of spacesuit fireproofing, demonstrations of miniaturized medical devices by CNES, rest chambers for long operations, the study of fire propagation in smoke-filled environments, the use of two-phase water mist nozzles for fire extinction and presentation of the results of a project to stimulate peripheral vision for better tactical communication.

8. Emmanuel Macron’s speech on French and European space strategy

In an increasingly uncertain international context, French President Emmanuel Macron underlined the importance for France and Europe of innovating and developing their sovereign space capabilities.

Watch the speech on the website of the French Presidency (in French)

In a speech following the unveiling of the name and patch for Sophie Adenot’s future mission to the ISS, Friday 20 June, Emmanuel Macron announced a national space strategy for France by end October, meshing with the European space strategy, and the organization early in 2026 of a Space Summit in France “to consolidate this strategy and mobilize our public and private partners across the globe”.

Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to radically up its game in space at a time of fierce competition from the sector’s American and Chinese giants, and increasingly close dependence on SpaceX’s constellations. He also advocated for the European Union to give itself the means to become a space power, pledging to fight to establish a European preference in space. “We cannot accept that we or our partners should have to depend on non-European constellations in low Earth orbit,” asserted the French President.

9. CNES and Île-de-France regional council launch AI challenge with €1 million prize fund

CNES and the Île-de-France regional council have joined forces to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) challenge geared towards exploiting satellite data. With a €1 million prize fund, this competition aims to revolutionize satellite data analytics and application services that use them, by exploiting the potential of cutting-edge AI technologies.

Discover the two project topics to be addressed by the competitions (in French)

The challenge will be posted on the website of the Île-de-France regional council, the first in Europe to have established an AI strategy, in the second half of this year. As technical partner, CNES put together with the council the two topics to be addressed, selected candidates, will provide the laureates with the required data and keep track of the development of their demonstrators.

This project illustrates the complementarity between space and AI, two sectors of excellence key to buttressing France’s technological and economic sovereignty.

10. International Charter Space & Major Disasters marks 25^th anniversary

On 20 June, the International Charter Space & Major Disasters celebrated its 25-year commitment to supporting crisis management. CNES marked this milestone at the Paris Air Show, inviting ESA and French partners for a review of actions undertaken by the charter since its inception.

The idea for such a charter was first put forward by CNES and ESA in 1999. It was officialized on 20 June 2000 and today counts 17 space agencies and 9 data providers. Their mission is to supply rapid satellite imagery and derived data (maps, statistics) free of charge to aid relief teams in the field in the event of natural or man-made disasters. This imagery meets the needs of disaster-hit countries, local authorities and the United Nations.

The charter is a unique example of successful international cooperation that operates all year round. To date, it has been activated nearly 1,000 times all over the world. CNES will be taking over as charter president from October 2025 to April 2026, with celebrations also planned with its international partners at the end of the year.