ESA-Airbus space station commercialization deal confronts 2024 ISS retirement threat

by Peter B. de Selding

PARIS — The European Space Agency (ESA) goal of offering commercial access to the International Space Station (ISS) through a partnership with Airbus is facing the challenge of persuading customers to sign contracts despite doubts about ISS’s future.

Airbus Defence and Space on July 2 announced a five-year agreement with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) under which Airbus could offer free payload space for UN member states aboard the Airbus-built Bartolomeo external-payload platform.

Bartolomeo’s construction is being financed by Airbus under . . .

To view the entire article, become a subscriber!

You may also like