30/11/2022 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 30 November, the European Commission announced it had signed a new contract with Arianespace for the launch services of the future satellites of the European earth observation programme Copernicus. Between 2023 and 2026, Arianespace will carry out six launches with Vega-C from the Guiana space station. It will ensure that the constellation is replenished and that new observation capabilities on CO2 emissions are put into orbit. The European Commission adds that, for the time being, this contract does not cover future Galileo satellites, for which negotiations are ongoing. The institution adds that it will seek to promote other launch systems from 2023 onwards through the EU-ESA Flight Ticket Initiative, co-financing the launch of certain flight-ready satellites that need a demonstration or validation mission in orbit to prove their capabilities. (PH)