Mar 23, 2021 23:00:00

European space exploration lags far behind private space developer SpaceX

European countries have been working on complex space development for a long time, but other countries, especially Elon Musk's

SpaceX , is a private space company known for providing Starlink , which creates an Internet connection environment using artificial satellites in orbit around the Earth, and developing the reusable rocket Falcon 9 and manned spacecraft Crew Dragon launched by NASA. Ars Technica, an overseas media outlet, points out that European countries, which have been pioneering space development for many years, are starting to fall behind SpaceX. Here is an explanation of the reasons for this.

Europe is starting to freak out about the launch dominance of SpaceX | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/03/european-leaders-say-an-immediate-response-needed-to-the-rise-of-spacex/

On March 11, 2011, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced an initiative to study 'future space transportation solutions.' As part of this initiative, ESA has signed research contracts worth approximately 500,000 euros (approximately 65 million yen) each with space development companies ArianeGroup , Rocket Factory Augsburg , and Avio , with the goal of building a space transportation system beyond 2030. Daniel Neuenschwander, head of ESA's space transportation division, said, 'Through our new European space transportation initiatives, we are laying the foundations to prepare for the future. These initiatives will enable us to take an advantage of the future needs of Europe's space program and develop services that can also meet the needs of the global market.'

ESA is moving forward with the development of the Ariane 6 and Vega C , whose development was approved in 2014. However, there have been growing concerns in Europe recently that the Ariane 6 and Vega C will lead to a loss of influence in the space race.

Ars Technica attributes this to the rise of SpaceX, which developed the reusable, low-cost rocket Falcon 9 and successfully launched it for the first time in 2010. Since then, the company has steadily improved the rocket, allowing it to provide the air transportation services that Ariane 6 and Vega C will be taking on at a lower cost.

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thaddeus cesari

In addition, SpaceX, in partnership with NASA, has successfully launched America's first privately manned spacecraft as of 2020. The ministers of France, where the Ariane 6 project began, and Italy, where the Vega C project began, have called for 'technical and industrial responses' from European countries to the rise of SpaceX, but it is unclear what results this will produce and how quickly European countries will act, Ars Technica points out.