ESA Awards €760 Million Contract to The Exploration Company for ALADDIN Cargo Capsule Project

The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded a service contract worth €760 million to The Exploration Company (TEC) for the next phase of its commercial cargo return program, now named ALADDIN (Autonomous LEO Accelerated Demo Docking to ISS Node). This initiative aims to establish an independent European capability for transportation to and from low Earth orbit, with the contract covering an initial demonstration mission of TEC's Nyx spacecraft and options for two additional flights.