Europe’s space plans face a launch-capacity gap despite new satellite projects
A new report details Europe’s reliance on US rockets and space services, while ESA’s launcher programme sets deadlines for expanding European capacity.
Europe’s plans to reduce its reliance on American space services face a launch-capacity constraint, The Economist reported in an article republished by hindustantimes.com on October 21. European satellite projects are advancing, but the report says US rockets still carry many of the satellites needed for those projects.
The report identifies three areas of dependence: satellite internet for civilian and military users; space-based surveillance and missile warning; and the ability to launch large numbers of satellites. That last constraint affects Europe’s efforts to build alternatives in the other two areas.
Why European satellites still use US rockets
Arianespace can carry heavy payloads, but launches fewer rockets than SpaceX and at higher cost, according to The Economist. Many satellites belonging to Finnish surveillance company Iceye and internet provider OneWeb have consequently flown on SpaceX rockets. Sweden’s first spy satellite, made by Iceye, launched this year aboard a US Falcon 9 rideshare flight, the report said.
Iceye has put 80 radar satellites into orbit and plans to double its production rate to 100 next year, according to the report. Its growth illustrates the demand for launches: building satellites in Europe does not, by itself, provide European rockets to carry them.
The European Space Agency says its European Launcher Challenge is intended to expand the supply of European launch services and strengthen autonomous access to space. ESA has earmarked more than €900 million for the programme and plans to act as a customer for newly developed commercial services.
ESA’s published schedule calls for an initial successful orbital launch demonstration by 2027 at the latest, followed by a capacity-upgrade demonstration no later than 2028. The agency planned to sign a framework contract in 2026, after funding for the programme was decided in November 2025.
Communications and defence alternatives take longer
The EU plans to spend €15 billion on its IRIS² communications constellation, but its first satellites are planned for launch in 2029, The Economist reported. Germany is planning a separate network of 100 military communications satellites at a cost of around €10 billion. For missile warning, France and Germany are working on a system that is not expected to come online until the early 2030s.
In satellite internet, OneWeb has about 600 satellites against Starlink’s more than 10,000, according to the report. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the immediate gap before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on October 16: ‘Starlink is really necessary for Ukraine and unfortunately in the short term Europe can’t replace this capability.’
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Sources and context
- Europe’s dependence on America in space is hard to escapeHindustan Times (republishing The Economist)
- European Launcher ChallengeEuropean Space Agency
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