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EU commissioner warns Europe’s satellite launch capacity cannot meet demand
EU Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said around 50,000 satellites are expected to be launched worldwide over the next decade. Kubilius said global launch capacity is falling behind rising demand and that Europe must close the gap.
With around 50,000 satellites expected to be launched worldwide over the next decade, existing global launch capacity is unable to meet demand. EU Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said Europe must also address this capacity gap at the 2nd European Union Conference on Access to Space, held in Brussels on Wednesday.
Kubilius said Europe had previously experienced a launch-vehicle crisis and that the new problem it faces could be even greater. He said rising demand could create intense competition for limited launch opportunities and significantly increase prices, warning that this could put national and European space objectives at risk.
Europe’s launch needs
Kubilius said the European Union would need 62 launches by 2034, including those for the Galileo, Copernicus and IRIS² programmes, and that Europe’s launch demand was expected to increase approximately sixfold.
Kubilius said the Ariane launch vehicle was planned to fly 10 times a year, but that 14 Ariane launches would be needed in 2031 alone. He said Vega could conduct six launches a year and noted that eight Vega launches would be required in 2030.
Ground infrastructure and independent access
Emphasising that the launch-capacity gap was not limited to the number of rockets, Kubilius said ground infrastructure such as launch sites and test centres was also part of the problem.
Kubilius said Europe’s independent access to space was the most important objective and that the continent should not depend on foreign rockets. In this context, he called for greater investment and closer cooperation among the European Commission, the European Space Agency and member states.
Kubilius announced that he would visit launch sites, production facilities and test centres across Europe to examine bottlenecks and possible solutions. He said he would present an action plan on access to space next year and stressed that launches were Europe’s most important strategic priority.
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