Commission calls on EU to join space race

Europe will put its status as a space power at risk unless it increases spending on the sector and member states pool their resources, according to a draft of the EU’s first comprehensive space strategy, which will be unveiled later this month.

The draft warns that Europe risks being overtaken by newly emerging space powers in the developing world.

"Countries such as China and India are rapidly mastering space technology, becoming challenging competitors on the commercial market," says the text.

"At a time when new space powers are emerging, Europe needs a space policy to enable it to remain an indispensable international partner," the European Commission paper will say. "The security and economy of Europe and its citizens is increasingly dependent on space-based capabilities."

The Commission is to present its first ever European Space Policy, which it has prepared jointly with the European Space Agency, on 26 April.

The strategy suggests opening up European Space Agency contracts to competition, rather than as at present distributing contracts in line with governments’ contributions to the agency. It also calls for an increase in public investment "on the basis of competition among European suppliers" and for member states to do more to co-ordinate military and civilian programmes to avoid duplication and cut costs.

The proposed strategy comes in the context of increased spending around the world on space and talk of a new ‘space race’ between Brazil, China, the EU, India, Japan, Russia and the US.

For decades the US has outstripped the EU in its spending on space - Washington currently spends seven times more than the EU - but several new space powers are emerging, threatening to erode Europe’s position.

The paper focuses on developing space as an industrial sector, emphasising the economic benefits derived from space technologies to retain competitiveness.

The Commission estimates that for every one job created in the space industry five more are created elsewhere in the economy as a result. Worldwide the industry is estimated to be worth €90 billion each year and is growing at around 7%.

One European official closely involved in developing the policy said: "If we want to have an industry and to use and develop that industry and if you want an industry for public use, you need funding."

Evidence of competition across the space sector is already growing. In the area of satellite-imaging China, the EU, India, the US and Russia are competing to provide their national firms with higher resolution satellite images and improved data to gain a commercial advantage. But some space experts question whether programmes with military applications can be commercially competitive.

Lars Höstbeck, an expert at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, said that the EU’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security system might prove more useful for governments than for commercial users.

"[When] responding to crises, decision-makers want data faster than ever," said Höstbeck. "They want facts and they want them fast. The [commercial] users of the data are not there yet."

But Höstbeck said that other applications could successfully combine civilian and military needs. "Communications is where the money is," he said.

Industry representatives said that the EU had gone some way towards recognising the importance of space but more public backing was needed.

"What is missing in Europe is an idea that the space sector is considered a strategic sector that will benefit from strong investment," said Olivier Lemaitre, the head of ASD-Eurospace, part of an association representing European aerospace and defence industries.

"We are the only space power in the world that thinks the industries involved have to be fully competitive," he said. "In the US, India and China space is considered a strategic sector."

Europe will put its status as a space power at risk unless it increases spending on the sector and member states pool their resources, according to a draft of the EU’s first comprehensive space strategy, which will be unveiled later this month.