EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

  • The 14th edition of the European Space Conference on January 25-26, 2022 was well attended as a hybrid event, with more than 1000 online participants and 130 invited speakers, seeking to turn vision into action. Among the speakers, there was a strong participation at national ministerial (including civil and defence) levels.
  • Space is increasingly considered as having “survival” value in relation to the 17 UN sustainable development goals; hence it is time to enable space to deliver.
  • Space is also exponentially a contested domain from a geopolitical and military point of view. Since it is crucial for European security, there is a need to develop a space & defence strategy.
  • Hence, we are at a crossroad for Europe in 2022. It is time for actions and to determine whether we want to stay ahead of the game and invest into our future. 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Several announcements were made during the conference, including:

  • signature of the text implementing CASSINI, the EC space entrepreneurship initiative (announced more than a year ago) with the European Investment Fund (EIF) and that at least €1 billion to support start-ups that want to scale up will be made available during 5 years.
  • adoption “within weeks” by the European Commission (EC) of the EU regulation on the space-based connectivity infrastructure project. 
  • The EC communication on space traffic management (STM) will likely be adopted in February 2022 (and recommend setting up a single accepted regime across Europe for STM).
  • Setting up of the European Launch Alliance, with the objectives of facilitating dialogue, ensuring stability and cross fertilization with respect to the European space launch policies and the need to access space (the Alliance will be a transparent and inclusive platform).
  • adoption by 2023 of a space & defence strategy as part of the Strategic Compass (the vehicle of regional collective ambition in defence cooperation).
  • ESA to sponsor 3 “accelerators” in areas such as green/climate change, resilience and protection of assets as well as 2 “inspirators” in areas such as a mission to an icy moon and human space exploration.
  • ESA to moves forward with Destination Earth initiative and the development of several digital twins of the Earth system by 2030. 
  • setting up of the European observatory for critical technologies (previously announced as part of the EC action plan on synergies) to monitor them, define applications, needed research, level of control and existing gaps.
  • likely signature in February 2022 of the last agreement (the guarantee agreement) preventing the (permanent) implementation of the InvestEU Program (for more info refer to the guide) 
  • solutions have been found to bridge the funding gaps of the Copernicus program (due to UK departure).
  • Implementation of the “flight ticket initiative” to stimulate the European launcher ecosystem by giving them as of 2023 launch service opportunities. 
  • EUSPA EO & GNSS market report (216 pages).

 

POLICY PRIORITIES

There are several policy priorities in Europe, include the need to:

  • ensure rapid adoption of the space connectivity project by the Council and European Parliament with the aim to start services in 2024/2025.
  • preserve European freedom to operate in the increasingly contested space domain.
  • preserve ground and space-based assets such as the Galileo and Copernicus programs.
  • revamp European public procurement rules to ensure that they are used in a strategic way and adapted to New Space. 
  • develop a fully-fledged European launch strategy and a European launcher ecosystem.
  • define a European space “preference policy” (along the lines of defence cooperation agreements concluded at national levels and possibly the new European Chips Act).
  • develop rules of good behaviour in space, possibly by starting at European level and then seeking to expand them globally. 
  • develop European standardisation policies in areas such as Internet of the Object (IoT), in orbit servicing, optical communications, ground space-related infrastructures such as spaceports and interoperability, …
  • develop new testing and launch capabilities (for engines and space vehicles) and open access to existing ones. 
  • retain space-related skills in Europe. 

 

TRENDS

  • 80% of surveyed citizens support space, 40% say it is “cool”, but none consider space as “vital”; hence the need to increase citizen awareness. 
  • Players resisting using the term “new space” since is creates a perception that certain actors are “old” or “not innovative” or “active”.
  • Public investments in space growing (by 77% in 2021) and need to scale-up support programs, facilitate access (including via “one-stop-shops”) and to create of network of private investors. 
  • Emerging consensus that European reusable launchers are a “must have” (and no longer “a nice to have”).
  • Enabling “dual use” of EU flagship programs such as Copernicus. 
  • Calls for cooperation between institutions and space agencies and the later acting as “customers/enablers”, prepared to leave the mission definition to the private sector. 
  • Private sector developing new capabilities and infrastructures such as spaceports and governments ensuring fair access & use and a level playing field. 
  • Space remains very inspiring, including for the young generations.