Airbus Space

New milestone for ANGEO-1🇦🇴 : work has officially begun at our site in Toulouse, France. Based on our next generation S250 optical satellite, ANGEO-1 will be the first Angolan, very high performance Earth observation satellite. It will be the most advanced satellite in its class in the region, positioning Angola as a leading space power. The ANGEO-1 programme will further foster the development of the country in many different sectors such as: ➡️ Infrastructure development ➡️ Mapping of natural resources ➡️ Maritime surveillance including fisheries ➡️ Agriculture It will also provide a better understanding of the origins and impacts of climate change on the economy, such as drought monitoring, rising sea levels and water resources. This will lead to being better prepared in case of natural disasters with improved response rates and reduced loss of assets. Image: Luanda, the capital city of Angola seen from space 🛰️

ℹ️ Artemis II update 📢 On 19 March The SLS rocket together with the Orion spacecraft - propelled by European technology - is set to be rolled back to launch pad 39B, for an upcoming launch window that opens on 1st April. 🚀 💡 Learn more about why going back to the Moon matters: airbus.com/en/newsroom/st… 📷©️NASA @esa @esaspaceflight

#Artemis II update 🚀 ⏰ April launch opportunities in Central European Summer Time (CEST) 🗓️ 2 Apr — 00:24 🗓️ 3 Apr — 01:22 🗓️ 4 Apr — 02:00 🗓️ 5 Apr — 02:53 🗓️ 6 Apr — 03:40 🗓️ 7 Apr — 04:36 Set those alarms Europe ☕ Night owls 🦉 and very early birds 🐦, this one's for you 🌕

🌋 40 years of Mount Etna eruptions through the eyes of our satellites 📍 Mount Etna — Sicily, Italy In the 1980s, when Etna erupted, we watched from afar. Limited resolution and revisit times. Days before data could be fully analysed. The volcano was active, but our eyes in space were still learning to see. Today, the volcano still stands, but in a completely different technological era. Our Earth observation ecosystem is now much faster, sharper and smarter. Thanks to satellite imagery, we’ve been able to track four decades of eruptions, lava flows, and landscape transformations with unprecedented precision: 📈 Better understanding volcanic dynamics ⚡ Anticipating risks 🚒 Protecting communities and infrastructure 🔬 Supporting scientific research 👇📸 These SPOT satellite images of Mount Etna, captured between 1989 and 2025, are more than a geological timeline. What makes them truly fascinating is not only the volcanic activity itself, but also the technological revolution behind these images seen from space. As a bonus, the last snapshot below is an Amplitude Change Detection image. Created from 4 individual acquisitions performed by our Radar Constellation, its colorisation shows the structural changes of the volcano’s surface between 2008 and 2019. 📸 Want to explore the SPOT 6 image in full resolution? Discover it in our image gallery : space-solutions.airbus.com/resources/sate… #40YearsandBeyond #EarthObservation #SatelliteImagery #SpaceTechnology #Innovation #RiskManagement

Airbus Defence and Space and @ArianeGroup have signed a new agreement to support the industrial ramp-up of the Ariane 6 launcher 🚀 continuing the long-standing collaboration 🤝 between the two companies. Under the agreement, Airbus Defence and Space in Spain will deliver 27 shipsets of lightweight carbon fibre structures, including: ➡️ Interface structures for the Ariane 6 main and upper stages ➡️ Launch vehicle adapters to connect and separate payloads ➡️ Upper parts for all Ariane 6 boosters By providing advanced carbon fibre technology, our teams directly contribute to the reliability and efficiency of Europe’s heavy-lift launcher and help ensure that Europe retains its independent access to space.

The SMILE satellite has arrived in Kourou, French Guiana entering its final countdown for a launch this spring 🚀. SMILE stands for Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer. Why does this matter? While the Northern Lights are breathtaking, the solar winds that cause them can trigger geomagnetic storms that impact our daily lives, such as affecting navigation systems. SMILE will give us our first-ever global look at how Earth’s magnetic shield protects us from these solar storms. Airbus innovation at work: Airbus in Spain led the development of the payload, including four high-tech instruments designed to photograph the "invisible" and measure the energy of the Sun. Get ready to see the Earth’s defence system like never before! 🔭

It all started 40 years ago…🛰️🗺️ On 22 February 1986, we launched our very first satellite into orbit, 822km above our heads. With SPOT 1, Earth Observation from space was no longer a vision, it had become reality. Only two months later, the world woke up to the name Chernobyl in shock. An explosion caused a threat invisible to the naked eye, yet powerful enough to leave scars for generations to come. In a striking twist of history, the very first commercial image delivered by SPOT 1 was of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Shortly after, satellite imagery of the site was published in the media, helping the world truly grasp the scale of the disaster and demonstrating how useful Earth Observation could be. At the time, satellite imagery was rare and far less precise than today. Resolution was limited. We saw shapes rather than details — fragments of an unfolding tragedy the world was still struggling to understand. Almost 40 years later, the same site can be observed with remarkable clarity. Every structural detail, every remaining evidence of the disaster, every change over time is visible, with extraordinary precision. 📸 These images of Chernobyl, captured by successive generations of our satellites - SPOT, Pléiades and Pléiades Neo - over the past 40 years are much more than a ‘before and after’. They illustrate the power of technological progress. They remind us how far innovation has come, and how Earth Observation has turned into an asset for understanding our world. ©️ @CNES & Airbus DS

🌊 In February 2026, persistent rainfall across western France led to significant flooding in Charente Maritime, as river systems exceeded seasonal levels. Communities around the Charente River corridor were particularly impacted: 🔹 In Bouchemaine, confluence dynamics between the Maine and Loire contributed to floodplain expansion and submerged riverside residential zones. 🔹 In Briollay, Sarthe floodplain expansion covered farmland and secondary road networks. 🔹 To the north, Montreuil-Juigné experienced rising levels of the Mayenne river, resulting in floodplain saturation and exposure of river residential areas. On 25 February 2026, a Pléiades satellite was tasked over these areas, capturing very high-resolution imagery showing extensive floodwater expansion across residential districts, transport axes partially cut off by flooding, and agricultural parcels covered by standing water. To support emergency response teams, public authorities and organisations involved in recovery planning, this full-definition image is available on the Airbus website. 🔗 See the high-res satellite image in our Image Gallery: space-solutions.airbus.com/resources/sate… Our thoughts are with all communities affected by the flooding in the region. #Flooding #France #CharenteMaritime #SatelliteImagery #EarthObservation #Pleiades #SPOT #DisasterResponse #Geospatial

One step closer to space🚀💫 The next-generation weather satellite MetOp-SG-B1 has successfully completed its solar array deployment test. This was one of the last key milestones to ensure MetOp-SG-B1 is ready for its weather forecasting mission, with a launch set for the second half of the year. The 24 m² solar arrays will power the satellite so it can complete 14 Earth orbits per day. Behind the weather that you check on your phones everyday are satellites like the MetOp series (@Eumetsat and @esa Meteorological Operational mission @esa_eo). With its five cutting-edge instruments, MetOp-SG-B1 will complement the data provided by its sister MetOp-SG A1, in orbit since August 2025. The MetOp-SG-B1 microwave and radar instruments will observe the Earth and provide crucial data to help both climatologists and meteorologists to be more precise in weather forecasting like temperature, humidity, as well as wind speed and direction.🌀 You'll have no excuse left if you forget your umbrella!☔

At Airbus we are hunting for the next ‘big thing’: disruptive approaches with the power to transform both space… and our daily lives. Many of the technologies designed by the space industry also improve our lives: think about airbags, survival blankets. At first they were made for space exploration missions, and now, they are making a difference on Earth. The German Aerospace Centre DLR is providing the opportunity to create partnerships between the space industry and the non-space sector with INNOspace Masters. This innovation competition bridges the gap between space technologies and the wider economy. Airbus is more than just an annual sponsor: we are active architects of the competition. Participants can apply specifically for the Airbus Challenge. Ready to help us breathe fresh air into our industry to push technology's boundaries even further than before? Find out more here: #AirbusChallenge" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">innospace-masters.de/challenges/#Ai…

Half a century after the last Apollo mission, humankind is heading back to the Moon. Artemis II will carry four astronauts around the Moon to pave the way for a permanent human presence. Discover why we go back to the Moon and why it matters: airbus.com/en/newsroom/st…

If you’ve been glued to watching 👀 winter #Olympic sports in Italy this week, you may recognise this spectacular winter setting :📍Cortina d'Ampezzo Set against the peaks of the dolomites, this alpine destination is once again at the centre of global winter competition. It’s hosting multiple events in the coming weeks, including curling, alpine skiing and the sliding sports of bobsleigh, skeleton and luge.⛷️ At 30 cm per pixel, this level of clarity reveals course layouts, spectator density and logistics zones, delivering powerful insight for large-scale event planning, safety coordination and real-time awareness in complex mountain environments. 🛰️ QUESTION FOR YOU 🎯 📸 This Pléiades Neo image was captured on 8 February 2026 at 10:13 CET. Based on the crowds gathered at the base of the ski slopes, can anyone guess which event was taking place at the time of the satellite acquisition? Drop your guess in the comments 👇

Airbus Defence and Space and Synspective Inc., a Japanese developer and operator of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, have signed a radar satellite data framework agreement to enhance global Earth observation capabilities. Read the news ➡️ space-solutions.airbus.com/resources/news…

A closer look of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California for today’s big game! 🛰️📸 At 30 cm per pixel, objects around 1 ft in size start to become distinguishable, which opens up powerful possibilities for facilities planning, event logistics, and situational awareness. Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, is more than just a football venue. Opened in 2014, it seats over 68,000 fans and was one of the first NFL stadiums to be designed with LEED Gold certification in mind, a nod to sustainability with features like a cool roof and recycled water systems. 🌟 Fun Fact: The upper bowl of the stadium has one of the steepest seating configurations in the NFL, giving fans up high a surprisingly close feel to the action on the field. React to this post and tell us who are you cheering for in tonight’s big game? 👍 Go Seahawks! 👏 Go Patriots! 🤝 I only watch for the commercials ❤️I’m here for the food #RemoteSensing #Geospatial #Imagery #LevisStadium #TechInnovation

Our high-resolution Pléiades Neo Earth Observation satellites 🛰️ spotted #SingaporeAirshow2026 from above. Can you indentify our lineup on the ground? Which aircraft or rotorcraft are you most excited about? ✈️🚁 Let us know in the comments!

🚀 #ArtemisII update: the mission is moving to March. Launch opportunities in Central European Time (CET)⏰🌍 🗓️ 7 Mar 02:29 🗓️ 8 Mar 02:57 🗓️ 9 Mar 04:56 🗓️ 10 Mar 04:52 🗓️ 11 Mar 05:48 Set those alarms, Europe 🌙☕ 📸: ESA-M. Born

NASA completed a wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis II mission in the early morning hours on Feb. 3. To allow teams to review data and conduct a second wet dress rehearsal, NASA will now target March as the the earliest possible launch opportunity for the Artemis II mission. go.nasa.gov/4ka7tKs

Airbus Defence and Space and ST Engineering have signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) at the Space Summit on the sidelines of the #SingaporeAirshow2026 to jointly explore and develop advanced satellite capabilities and digital solutions, marking a significant step forward in their strategic collaboration across several priority areas. The first MoU formalises the collaboration to explore a joint partnership between Airbus and ST Engineering in developing a new satellite imaging concept known as multi-static Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), with ST Engineering to develop the companion satellites to operate alongside the PAZ-2 satellite manufactured by Airbus and the commercialisation of this service. This “3D SAR” approach involves one satellite transmitting radar signals and three others receiving them from different angles. By combining these perspectives, the system can generate richer, more detailed and more reliable 3D models of the Earth’s surface. The second MoU will see Airbus and ST Engineering develop a Generative AI system for advanced satellite imagery analysis. By applying advanced AI techniques to geospatial data, the collaboration will enhance object detection, change monitoring, and automated reporting, providing faster and more accurate insights for decision-makers.

Did you know that Europe plays a crucial role in the return of humankind to the Moon? On behalf of the European Space Agency, Airbus is leading #TeamEurope in designing and building the European Service Module (ESM). This powerhouse will provide all the vital elements - such as oxygen, water and heating - needed by the astronauts during their journey to the Moon. This key component will propel the Orion spacecraft on a 1 million km flight from Earth to the Moon and back. Learn more about Orion ESM: airbus.com/en/products-se… TeamEurope is led by ESA and Airbus as prime contractor and includes Ariane Group, Beyond Gravity, Leonardo, Matra, TESAT, Thales Alenia Space and many more... copyrights NASA - ESA - Airbus

Europe is going to the Moon 🚀🌕 See how we're powering Artemis II in our Moon media kit 👇 esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/HRE/Moon_…