ESA's Atomic Clock Arrives in US for ISS Mission Canadian CubeSats to Launch via Exolaunch Partnership

ESA's Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) has arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for integration with a Falcon 9 vehicle ahead of its scheduled launch to the International Space Station on April 21. The European experiment will measure time from orbit with unprecedented precision, testing fundamental physics from the Columbus module. Concurrently, Exolaunch has secured an agreement with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to launch nine 3U CubeSats designed by Canadian universities. The satellites, part of the CUBICS program, are slated for deployment in mid-2026 via a rideshare mission. Exolaunch will provide mission support, integration, and deployment services using its EXOpod Nova deployer. The CubeSats will support research in Earth observation, space weather analysis, and communication systems.