Momentum is growing for Europe to develop its own sovereign space capabilities, including satellite launches and human spaceflight, and reduce its dependence on the United States as divisions grow across the Atlantic. 'Our security on Earth increasingly depends on our security in space,' European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said at the inaugural International Space Summit in Paris, France on 10 September. 'Europe must act together, invest at scale, and turn our market into a competitive advantage.' Europe currently relies on NASA and companies such as SpaceX in Brownsville, Texas, to launch some of its astronauts and satellites to space. SpaceX's Starlink network of broadband satellites in low-Earth orbit is now the leading provider of Internet from space around the world. And commercial European space activity has lagged behind that of the United States. Of the global US$13.5 billion invested in space companies last year, only 12% went to European companies, compared...
learn more
