Vega-C Launch from Kourou: Avio’s Vega-C VV30 lifted off from French Guiana carrying ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel-3C and the FLEX mission to map plant fluorescence, with European industry highlighting the precision hardware behind stage separation. EU Outer Regions Policy: Brussels adopted a new strategy and regulatory package for the EU’s “outermost regions,” explicitly including French Guiana, aiming to adapt EU rules to local realities and boost connectivity, resilience, and access to services. Deforestation Rules Twist for French Guiana: The European Commission proposed carving French Guiana out of the EU Deforestation Regulation’s territorial scope using Article 349, citing enforcement challenges and the region’s geography—while keeping compliance for goods shipped to the rest of the EU. Space Summit Push for Independence: At Macron’s Paris International Space Summit, Europe doubled down on building sovereign capabilities, including a roadmap for European crewed spaceflight from Kourou within 10 years, as major US firms skipped the event. Weather Satellite Control: EUMETSAT took over operations of MTG-I2, launched from Kourou, moving it toward operational service in 2027. Amazon Leo Expansion: Amazon Leo signed for six more Ariane 64 launches with Arianespace from French Guiana, extending its European deployment schedule through 2031. ICEYE and Ariane 6: ICEYE and Arianespace agreed to evaluate Ariane 6 integration for European sovereign SAR missions. Local Sports Link: A Guyana beach volleyball championship (Sept 26–27) is set to feed into a French Guiana CSV Tour leg in October 2026.