French president Nicolas Sarkozy announced in mid-December that France would invest E250m to help build a new launcher, as part of a broader stimulus programme aimed at supporting manufacturers announced a year ago.
Visiting a Normandy-based Safran…
French president Nicolas Sarkozy announced in mid-December that France would invest E250m to help build a new launcher, as part of a broader stimulus programme aimed at supporting manufacturers announced a year ago.
Visiting a Normandy-based Safran factory, which makes European launcher Ariane’s rocket motors, Sarkozy insisted on the need for continued autonomous access to space. To this end, the investment will support the development of Ariane 5 Midlife Evolution (ME), which includes a high-performance upper stage, as well as the construction of a successor to Ariane 5.
He said that the money invested would come on top of the recently-signed 2011-2015 contract, which gives an extra E70m to the European Space Agency (ESA).
But Sarkozy added that the downstream sector (including satellite operators), which benefits from a reliable European launcher, should also be asked to contribute financially to the European launch sector.
These announcements echo proposals made a few months ago by the Space Commission, part of the Air and Space Academy based in Toulouse, France. In September, 12 European former industry officials released a report entitled ‘Long term strategy for European space launchers’.
According to the report, the European launcher capability faces organisational, financial and technical challenges, and must be reorganised to continue operating in an increasingly competitive environment.
The main recommendations include pushing ahead with Ariane ME but also developing Vega 2, a fully European launcher, in order to be able to launch the whole spectrum of satellites, not just the institutional ones.
The commissioners also outlined the need to tax operators, arguing that orbital slots are a precious asset. European Union member states would impose a levy of E3m per satellite on commercial operators.
Finally, the report suggested reorganising the European launcher sector, with the creation of an ESA Special Project. “In this framework a contract, and not a simple convention, should be awarded to the entities in charge of production and commercialisation. This contract should include strong incentives in order to limit financial risks to governments,” read the report.