Greece Enhances National Satellite Program with PlanetScope Data; ESA Launches Competition to Bolster European Launch Vehicle Development

Greece is integrating PlanetScope data into its national satellite program to enhance technological innovation and supplement existing satellite information streams. The Hellenic Space Center (HSC) is coordinating the data provision, optimizing tasking, and ensuring seamless integration across downstream projects. PlanetScope offers frequent imaging of Earth's land surfaces at 3-meter resolution, providing near-daily global coverage. Meanwhile, the European Space Agency (ESA) has initiated the European Launcher Challenge, allocating up to 169 million euros per selected vehicle to support new launch vehicle development. The competition includes contracts for launch services from 2026 to 2030 and a launch service capacity upgrade demonstration by 2028. ESA aims to select two to three companies, requiring them to match ESA funding with their own investments. Several European companies, including HyImpulse, Latitude, and Orbex, have expressed interest. Isar Aerospace recently scrubbed a launch attempt of its Spectrum rocket due to weather conditions.