Paris: The two-day International Space Summit, which commenced on Wednesday, has gathered officials, astronauts, researchers, and industry leaders from approximately 120 countries to discuss the future of the space industry and explore potential business deals. Europe is aiming to take control of its space destiny, as emphasized by French President Emmanuel Macron in a message posted on X, advocating for innovation and investment to build an independent Europe in space.
According to France24.com, the summit underscores President Macron's efforts to reduce Europe's reliance on the United States for essential technology services, which include satellite communications and reconnaissance. The chief of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher, has called for a £10 billion ($11.6 billion) investment over the next decade to enable Europe to achieve autonomy in the space sector. "Will we be passengers or pilots?" Aschbacher questioned European ministers in a closed meeting on Wednesday evening.
Aschbacher highlighted that Europe needs to position itself as an indispensable partner with its own capabilities in the rapidly developing global space technology landscape, which includes satellite development and the exploration of the Moon and Mars. He estimated that a commitment to furthering space exploration would require an investment of around one billion euros per year for the next ten years.
Without such an investment, Europe risks remaining dependent on other players in the space industry, which could be costly. Aschbacher explained that purchasing flights for European astronauts from foreign providers would cost 5 billion euros over a decade, with most of that money going to foreign industries and requiring permission to fly beyond Europe's control. He advocated for investing in capabilities that remain in Europe to create jobs, strengthen autonomy, and secure a stronger position in international negotiations.
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, speaking at the summit, emphasized that Europe cannot remain on the sidelines in the space industry. "We're leaders in technology, we have universities, labs, companies, space agencies - we need to take matters into our own hands," he remarked. ESA member states are expected to deliberate on Aschbacher's call for greater autonomy at a ministerial meeting in December.
European nations have been working to build their sovereign space capabilities since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which highlighted the importance and potential vulnerabilities of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications service for Kyiv. The European Union is developing a sovereign satellite constellation called Iris2 to rival Starlink, aiming to provide secure communications and connectivity to the 27-nation bloc's citizens by 2030.
The US continues to lead globally in the space sector, with NASA conducting significant exploration missions and overseeing the Artemis program, which aims to establish a human presence on the moon. Musk's SpaceX has revolutionized the commercial launch industry with reusable rockets, while Amazon and Blue Origin are also making strides in satellite and space technologies. However, SpaceX and Blue Origin canceled plans to attend the Paris summit, following reports that the White House advised US space companies against attending to avoid appearing to support European Union policies.