European Union 10 August 2025 - 28 January 2026

Germany just told Amazon to stop policing seller prices — and pay back €59 million

Germany just told Amazon to stop policing seller prices — and pay back €59 million

Germany’s cartel office blocked Amazon from enforcing price caps on marketplace sellers and ordered the company to repay €59 million, citing abuse of market dominance. Amazon will appeal and says its German store will remain open. The watchdog used new 2023 powers and signaled more scrutiny for other platforms. About 60% of amazon.de sales come from independent sellers.
February 5, 2026
EU taps Ariane 6 for new Galileo launches as bloc pushes to cut SpaceX reliance

EU taps Ariane 6 for new Galileo launches as bloc pushes to cut SpaceX reliance

The EU space agency signed a new contract with Arianespace to launch two second-generation Galileo satellites on Ariane 6, shifting away from recent reliance on SpaceX. The L18 mission will mark Ariane 6’s fifth Galileo flight, with the inaugural mission set for December 17, 2025. EU officials are pressing for greater autonomy in space launches. France’s space minister called for ending dependence on non-European suppliers.
January 28, 2026
Guide to Satellite Earth Monitoring

Complete Guide to Satellite Earth Monitoring: How Space Tech Is Watching Our Planet Now

Landsat-1, launched in 1972, began continuous satellite mapping of Earth's land. By 2008, over 150 Earth observation satellites were in orbit, collecting more than 10 terabits of data daily. ESA’s Copernicus program, active since 2014, delivers over 25 terabytes of free data each day. NASA-ISRO’s NISAR radar mission is scheduled for launch in late 2024 or 2025.
August 10, 2025