Daily Management Review

EU To Invest In Space Technology Giving ‘Means To Speed Up’


06/30/2020


With China and the U.S. moving ahead in their space technology, the EU feels the pressureto “keep up” and decides to for the first time to spend from its budget.



The European Union decides to invest more on “rocket launches, satellite communication and space exploration”. This move is being made to capitalise on its previous successes which did not grab any lime light, besides the bloc also needs to keep up with ambitious U.S. and China.
 
For many years now, Europe has been trying to become independent in space tech, without the help of Russia and the U.S. while it has “Ariane rockets or GPS-rival satnav Galileo” and other such successes in its kitty. However, recently U.S’ SpaceX has emerged as a competitor as it builds “reusable rockets”. Similarly, China is making “rapid advances” in the field which included the “first ever landing on the far side of the Moon last year”. As a result, Europe is feeling the pressure in an all “new urgency” to ramp up its Space technology.
 
In the words of the “European Commissioner Thierry Breton”:
“Space is one of Europe’s strong points, and we’re giving ourselves the means to speed up”.
 
Furthermore, Breton noted that prior to this the EU hasn’t spent anything from its budget to “support new technology to launch rockets, including reusable ones”. Likewise, the EU will also enter into an agreement worth “1 billion euro” with the Arianespace with the guarantee of more orders which will boost the latter’s market visibility and in exchange it will have to come up with “more innovation”. In Breton’s words:
“SpaceX has redefined the standards for launchers, so Ariane 6 is a necessary step, but not the ultimate aim: we must start thinking now about Ariane 7”.
 
According to Reuters:
“Breton, who hopes the European Commission will provide 16 billion euros for space in its next budget, said he would propose a 1 billion euro European Space Fund to boost startups. He also wants to launch a competition to give free access to satellites and launchers to startups, to spur innovation”.
 
 
 
References:
reuters.com