Airbus Wants a Slice of the Space Business
- Ariane rocket builder is venturing into new space business
- Companies are racing to tap future mini-satellite mass market
Ariane 5 rocket engines.
Photographer: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Airbus is working on developing a launcher to send mini satellites into orbit, people familiar with the project said, a move that would pit it against the likes of Virgin Galactic and Rocket Lab.
The Toulouse, France-based company is working on a project to build a commercial launcher for satellites ranging from less than one kilo to a few dozen kilos -- the so-called CubeSats and nano satellites -- used for earth exploration, defense and security, weather forecasts and Internet connections, the people said, asking not to be named because the project is not public.