What's in this week's issue of Space News? Every Monday we post quick, concise summaries of the current issue's top stories.

The most recent smaller stories from all corners of the space community, collected in one convenient place.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — European governments on Nov. 26 approved about 10 billion euros ($13 billion) in new financing for the 18-nation European Space Agency (ESA) in the coming years, with major new funding for Earth observation and meteorological satellites, early work on a more powerful version of the Ariane 5 rocket and an increase in annual spending on space science.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Satellite-fleet operators SES of Luxembourg and EchoStar Corp. of the United States have reached agreement on co-financing a large direct-broadcast television satellite to be placed in a Mexican orbital slot that both companies have been cultivating for more than three years.

PARIS — A European Parliament resolution on space policy adopted Nov. 20 calls for improved collaboration between civil and military space programs, an idea that remains so sensitive in Europe that the Parliament's own press office sought to dilute it.

PARIS — Franco-Italian space-hardware manufacturer Thales Alenia Space expects to report a 17.5 percent increase in revenue for 2008, to 2 billion euros ($2.5 billion) and forecasts further increases in 2009 despite the global economic crisis, Thales Alenia Space Chief Executive Reynald Seznec said Nov. 21.

WASHINGTON — NASA and its contracting team conducted the first full-scale ground test of the U.S. space agency's Moon-bound Constellation program, test firing an abort motor designed to whisk the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle away from its Ares 1 launcher in an emergency.

WASHINGTON — A Japanese navy destroyer equipped with the U.S.-developed Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system failed to intercept a target in a Nov. 19 test, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said in a Nov. 20 press release.

PARIS — Satellite-fleet operator Intelsat has signed an agreement with Sea Launch Co. for five spacecraft to be launched between 2010 and 2012 from Sea Launch's Pacific Ocean platform, Sea Launch Chief Executive Kjell Karlsen said Nov. 20.

WASHINGTON — Pentagon leaders have directed the U.S. Air Force to quickly acquire a new geosynchronous-orbiting missile warning satellite system that will launch by the end of 2013, according to a memo from the Pentagon's acquisition chief.

PARIS — The ViaSat-1 Ka-band consumer-broadband satellite will be launched aboard a European Ariane 5 rocket in early 2011 under a contract signed by ViaSat Inc. and the Arianespace launch consortium of Evry, France, ViaSat announced Nov. 17.

TURIN, Italy — The Italian Space Agency (ASI) has agreed to increase its spending on Europe's ExoMars rover-lander mission to assure that its industry keeps the prime contractor's role and to prove its good faith as it enters into negotiations on a broad multiyear European space-spending plan, ASI Techology Director Carlo Bonifazi said Nov. 17.