Sirius Space Services, a French small-rocket start-up founded in 2020, has not flown as of October 2026. It holds a France 2030 contract and a pad slot in Kourou, but has announced no funding round, files confidential accounts and has moved its first flight from March 2025 to the end of 2027 or 2028.
European rockets launched most of the Middle East’s large satellites until 2019. Since 2020 Europe still builds them, SpaceX launches them, and three European launch firms have signed with Oman’s Etlaq spaceport.
Vega C was ordered in 2014 to fly in 2018 and first flew in July 2022. Eight flights, one failure, 715 days on the ground, EUR 87.4 million of public money per successful flight and never more than three launches a year. How Avio and its rocket compare with Electron, Falcon 9 rideshare and China’s small rockets.
Santa Maria in the Azores holds Portugal’s only launch site licence. We look at who runs it, what has flown, who paid and what was promised since 2018.
Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana flew 7 launches in 2025, against 11 a year a decade ago. Its new small-launcher pads were promised for 2024 and have hosted no launch. Who holds the slots, who pays for the base, and how it compares with Florida, China’s Hainan and Rocket Lab.
Seven European launch startups scored on flight record, 2026 cadence, launch site, money and team. Isar Aerospace leads and is the only one in orbit, Orbex is not scored, and Ariane 6 and Vega C are the benchmark. With public vs private money per company.
Esrange near Kiruna has launched more than 600 sounding rockets but no orbital rocket. The first orbital launch, promised for 2020, is now set for 2028, paid for by the Swedish state.
MaiaSpace, ArianeGroup’s 100% subsidiary, has not flown as of October 2026. Its accounts show EUR 85 million of losses against EUR 83 million paid in, negative equity and EUR 180 million of customer advances, while the first flight moved to the second half of 2027.
ESA’s European Launcher Challenge pays private rocket firms for launches and upgrades once they reach orbit. EUR 902 million pledged, EUR 543.6 million signed, one orbit so far. Who got what, how it compares with NASA’s COTS, and what to watch before the end-2027 deadline.
