European Space Policy Gets a Countdown

European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius opened the second Access to Space Conference in Brussels, addressing Europe's struggle to maintain independent, competitive access to orbit. Speaking alongside European Space Agency (ESA) Director-General Josef Aschbacher, Kubilius stressed the urgent need to build a resilient and responsive launch sector capable of competing in a global market dominated by fast-moving commercial rivals.

Satellites underpin everything from daily smartphone navigation and weather forecasting to military surveillance and secure communications across the EU. When Europe lacks its own reliable rockets, it must rely on foreign providers or accept lengthy delays. Building domestic launching capacity aims to lower costs, guarantee secure access to orbit, and protect essential European digital infrastructure from external supply shocks.

In EU parlance, "sovereign access to space" translates to a fraught web of national industrial interests, heavy state investments, and joint funding arrangements between the Commission and ESA. While Brussels excels at producing ambitious strategy documents, rocket science requires hardware that actually lifts off on schedule—a requirement that frequently tests the balance between member states with domestic aerospace contractors and those simply looking for cheap, timely launches.

The Commission and ESA will continue aligning policy frameworks to support next-generation heavy launchers, micro-launchers, and commercial space ventures. Further proposals targeting space defence capabilities and industrial competitiveness are set to roll out across the current legislative term.