Can the EU jet itself into the space race?

euronews (in English)

Can the EU jet itself into the space race?  A revolution is coming to space, according to the European Commission, which has just proposed a new Space Act. Increasing the EU’s competitiveness in the space sector is the goal of the new legislation, but is the bloc willing to invest enough to lead the space race?  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/07/08/can-the-eu-jet-itself-into-the-space-race  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00A revolution is coming in space according to the European Commission.

00:18To harness this, the Bloch's executive has proposed a new Space Act.

00:22Boosting EU's competitiveness in the space sector is the aim.

00:27EU Decode takes you behind the current space race this week.

00:32The main focus of the law is launchers and satellites,

00:35which are increasingly important for activities as diverse as communications,

00:40navigation, meteorology and renewable energy.

00:44In 2023, the global space economy was valued at 572 billion euros,

00:50according to the European Space Agency.

00:53It's expected to grow by around 9% each year until 2035,

00:58when we'll reach 1.6 trillion euros.

01:02But Europe lags far behind the US and has spent just 12 billion euros in public funding on the space industry,

01:09compared with 65 billion euros in the US.

01:12The same applies to private investment.

01:15980 million euros in the EU, compared with 3.6 billion euros in the US.

01:21The idea is to create a single market for space, with special support for small and medium-sized companies.

01:31The competition is coming not only from the United States, but also from powers such as China and India.

01:39Let's hear what Europeans have to say about this.

01:42Yes, space industry is important for competitiveness, productivity,

01:46so I look at it from economic terms, but not to exploit the space with no rules.

01:51I think a good idea to increase funding, especially for ESA, and to compete in satellite industries.

01:58It seems that we don't count a lot, in this moment, if we are placed in the comparison of China,

02:04the United States and Russia.

02:07I don't know, the role of Europe seems to be a bit in crisis, in this sense.

02:12It would be necessary to control the space space, because then, after a certain time,

02:19these satellites go out of use and fall back on Earth.

02:24Zero News reporter Grego Arlori is an expert on space policy.

02:29This new law will create a set of common rules across the EU for the space economy.

02:36One of the key pillars is safety to avoid collisions.

02:40Why more is needed in this domain?

02:43You need to imagine that above our head, we have a sort of traffic jam.

02:46You've got 11,000 satellites already, and it is expected to have 50,000 more satellites in the next decade.

02:54And adding to that, you have 128 million space debris.

02:59So you're increasing the risk of collision.

03:02So the commission is proposing to minimize the generation of space debris

03:06and to do some sharing position data in order to avoid collision.

03:11Another main pillar is resilience in the sense that the EU assets on space are under threat,

03:18namely from hostile powers such as Russia.

03:22What is at stake in that front?

03:24You have to consider space as the new frontier.

03:27So it is a zone that is contested by cyberattacks or electronic interference,

03:34targeting satellites or ground stations, for instance.

03:37And what is at stake is that you could lose the satellite or some services provided by the satellite.

03:43The commission is proposing to apply the same rule as cybersecurity

03:48and also to do a risk assessment throughout the life cycle of a space mission.

03:53Space technology has enabled a lot of developments in other areas,

03:58for example, wireless communication, solar panels.

04:02What does the EU need to do in order to become a leader in the global space market?

04:08So the commission is proposing to have a single market for space.

04:12It is also proposing to reinforce research and innovation, for sure.

04:17And, of course, it is willing to enhance international cooperation

04:22and to work with public and private stakeholders throughout the economic spectrum.

04:28This law does not cover military uses,

04:31but the EU has already created a defense strategy for space.

04:35The year after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine,

04:38the European Commission presented a space strategy for security and defense.

04:44The communication warned of the need to protect space systems,

04:48their supporting ground infrastructures and the data connections between them,

04:52including through joint space exercises.

04:55Meanwhile, the European Parliament recently commissioned a study on scenarios for space security in 2050.

05:02It warns of possible development of more weapons-targeting satellites and space-based defense systems.

05:09Our guest is Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defense and Space.

05:15Welcome to Euronews.

05:17Some studies say that within a generation one might be already mining on the Moon

05:22or manufacturing in space to keep the Earth's atmosphere clear.

05:28Is the EU ready to keep up with the competition with the US, Russia, even China and India on such developments?

05:37We are creating good legal conditions for single market in space industry for Europeans,

05:44so that is in some way simplifying life for those who are engaging in space industry,

05:51because if they will be registered whatever, you know, in Brussels or in Luxembourg or in Germany,

05:57then they will be registered in all Europe.

05:59You have already to rely on Elon Musk's SpaceX company to account for delays in the European Arian satellite launcher program.

06:10Can we find a solution to prevent relying so much on other international companies?

06:18We have several very good systems like Galileo or Copernicus,

06:24and now we are building Kairi Square for secure satellite communication.

06:29And in order to service those systems in space, we need to have good, you know, transport system.

06:33And that is what Ariane 6 is doing.

06:36But when we are looking into what is coming, we understand that it can be not enough.

06:41We need to build new capacities, both, you know, with the launchers, with the rockets,

06:46and also maybe with the new, you know, launching pads.

06:49So how much of the future European competitiveness fund within the scope of the 2028-2034 EU budget should be devoted to space?

07:01And how would you like that money to be used?

07:03Now the total allocation is around of 17 billion euros.

07:07So we know that just in order to keep continuation of exploitation of existing systems, we need to have more.

07:14So we need, first of all, to have good surveillance system.

07:17We need to be able to follow what is happening in space.

07:21We need to develop also what we call micro-launching systems,

07:25where our start-upers and small and medium-sized business are coming with very good ideas,

07:31you know, ambitious ideas, and I hope that we shall be able really to do what is needed to be done.

07:36Space could still bring many scientific discoveries and activities of economic value.

07:42Will it play host to international cooperation or become an arena of geopolitical competition?

07:49In the race to the final frontier, the EU faces the same challenges as here on Earth.

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