Skip to main content

Europe

See All Stories
space explored podcast

Space Explored Podcast 66: What happens to Europe now the Ariane 5 is gone?

This week Seth and Austin DeSisto discuss the week’s top stories and then dive into the main topic concerning Europe. With the retirement of the Ariane 5 and a lack of any other operational launcher, what does the future look like for European spaceflight?

Subscribe

Expand Expanding Close

Rocket Factory Augsburg: Hope that Europe can indeed build a commercial launch sector

While the US’s private launch sector has been killing it by developing multiple viable launch systems, Europe’s commercial sector has been stagnating, with only Arianespace capable of any projects, with a lot of help from ESA. However, that is not the case for Rocket Factory Augsburg, which just completed a full-duration hot fire of its privately developed second stage.

Expand Expanding Close

Is this Europe’s ‘We choose to go to the Moon’ moment?

The European Space Agency’s High-Level Advisory Group (HLAG) released a report on the current state of Europe’s human exploration program. It calls for the continent to go all in on space, or risk being left in the dust.

Europe has become a key partner in many of NASA’s programs, including the Artemis Program. However, the continent’s space agency seems to have much more ambitious plans, rather than just helping NASA with its goals. The ESA’s HLAG report makes it clear that its objective should be to bolster its commercial market with its own human exploration program, including low Earth orbit and the Moon.

Expand Expanding Close