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US President Donald Trump said Saturday he was withdrawing his nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk, to lead space agency NASA. Trump said last December, before returning to office, that he wanted the online payments entrepreneur and the first private astronaut to conduct a spacewalk to serve as the next head of NASA. But on Saturday, he said on his Truth Social platform that "after a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA."

In 2025, the European Space Agency (ESA) celebrates its 50th anniversary, marking five decades of scientific discovery, technological advancement, and international collaboration. Established in 1975 with 10 member states, ESA has grown into a formidable organization with 23 member states, three associate members, and several cooperating partners. This milestone year provides an opportunity to reflect on ESA’s achievements and its ambitious plans for the future, particularly through its Strategy 2040.

The second session of the space industry workshop series—organized by HypeX Consulting and the Ministry for National Economy — welcomed a growing audience last week, highlighting international collaboration and academic excellence in the field. Key insights were shared on American-Hungarian business opportunities, South Korea’s space strategy, and Japan-Hungary academic partnerships, with Dr. Martin Zsarnóczky representing the American-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce in New York.

On June 2, Hungary will host the MoonRad Industry Day event, jointly organized by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Ministry of National Economy (NGM). The event will focus on the MoonRad Lunar Space Weather Exploration SmallSat mission, a forward-looking initiative in the field of space weather and space dosimetry. The “MoonRad” project aims to create a European sovereign SmallSat constellation around the Moon, supporting ESA’s 2040 strategy and future human and robotic lunar exploration. The key domestic actors in the project are REMRED and HUN-REN EK.

Astronauts undergo years of rigorous training to spend time on the International Space Station. Still, their bodies suffer many changes while they are in microgravity. Texas A&M University's Aerospace Medicine Program is putting long-duration spaceflight at the center of its research and education, a first-of-its-kind initiative.

Europe’s defense boost is fueling demand for skilled workers, but a severe labor shortage is forcing firms to scramble for talent and launch their own training programs to meet urgent production needs.

At SmallSat Europe 2025 in Amsterdam, Italy’s SITAEL unveiled Empyreum, its next-generation small satellite platform equipped with the company’s proprietary Spark electric propulsion system. In this exclusive interview, Chiara Pertosa – CEO of SITAEL and one of second-generation leader of Angel Holding – explains what makes Empyreum unique.

EUROPEAN shares kicked off the week on a positive note on Monday, recouping the previous session’s losses, as markets heaved a sigh of relief after US President Donald Trump delayed his threat to impose a 50% tariff on the region. Defence companies were among the biggest boosts to the Stoxx 600 index, with Rheinmetall and Leonardo gaining over 3 per cent each and the aerospace and defence index advancing 1.7 per cent.

The Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), has elected Saab CEO Micael Johansson as its new president and chairman of the board. Johansson, who previously served as vice chairman of the ASD board, was elected during the association’s board meeting and 2025 convention in London. He was appointed for a two-year term and will take office on 15 June. The appointment will not affect his role as president and CEO of Saab.

A new memorandum has firmed up China and Russia's intent to lead the construction of a new lunar base to be completed by 2036, as NASA talks about scaling back its own lunar ambitions.

Combining Europe's strengths in R&D with the Middle East's ability to deploy capital at scale would benefit both regions. The economic logic is clear. Space technology drives innovation across industries from global internet access to climate monitoring. The companies that lead will shape the future and reap the rewards.

A piece of classical music is to be played into space to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of its composer and the 50th year of the European Space Agency (ESA).