login
login
Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13782
Contents Publication in full By article 16 / 18
SECURITY - DEFENCE - SPACE / Space

2026 will be record year for launch of ESA missions and satellites, according to Josef Aschbacher

On Thursday 8 January, the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher, announced the launch of 65 missions and satellites in 2026, an all-time record.

“This year, we are planning to launch 65 new missions and satellites, compared with 46 last year. It’s an all-time record”, he explained at a press conference in Paris. 46 launches in 2025 were already a record for ESA.

While in 2025, 22 Earth observation satellites were launched, the target is 48 this year,...

Contents

EXTERNAL ACTION
JORDAN: at first-ever summit, EU and Jordan reaffirm desire to work together
EGYPT: EU and Cairo aim to further consolidate their relationship
MERCOSUR: green light from EU countries for trade agreement with Mercosur is within reach
INDIA: European Commission still hopes to conclude negotiations on free trade agreement at end of January
TRADE/CLIMATE: European Commission concludes that free trade agreements contribute positively to environmental commitments
SECTORAL POLICIES
DIGITAL: direct competitors of digital giants criticise European Commission’s poor implementation of DMA
DIGITAL: European Commission requires X to keep all data on its artificial intelligence amidst sexual deepfakes scandal
CONSUMERS: EU market is still facing an upsurge in non-compliant small packages sent from China
CLIMATE: Wopke Hoekstra regrets US withdrawal from United Nations Framework Convention, while Teresa Ribera castigates Trump administration
HOME AFFAIRS: Magnus Brunner calls on Germany to reduce its border controls in favour of tougher procedures at EU’s external borders
AGRICULTURE: Copa-Cogeca believes announced measures do not address scale of agricultural crisis
CYPRUS PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
HOME AFFAIRS: Cyprus Presidency of EU Council committed to implementation of ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’ and fight against transnational crime
HEALTH: Cyprus Presidency of EU Council hopes for an agreement with European Parliament on critical medicines by end of June 
COHESION: cohesion policy budget is priority for Cyprus Presidency of EU Council
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
ECB: Central and Eastern European countries mobilise to obtain seats on ECB’s Executive Board
SECURITY - DEFENCE - SPACE
SPACE: 2026 will be record year for launch of ESA missions and satellites, according to Josef Aschbacher
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
GENDER EQUALITY: equal pay is still too theoretical in European Union, according to Eurofound
NEWS BRIEFS
ENERGY: solar energy production reached all-time high in 2025, according to Eurelectric