2023-05-07 15:20:03
News JVTech Europe is up once morest the wall and will have to entrust its biggest project to Elon Musk…
It is an admission of weakness that Europe is making when considering negotiating with an American company to launch its biggest project. Especially since the ultra-sensitive aspect of the technology makes it a risk.
Europe must trust the United States
Currently the largest space project of the European Union is the launch and start-up of the constellation of
satellites Galileo. It is the competitor navigation system of the American GPS, in more powerful. Cutting-edge technology that Europe has tried somehow to always keep within its doors. The launches have always been made by the Ariane 5 rocket, from the joint group between Airbus and Safran.
Ariane 5
But then why stop the launches overnight, just keep going? The reason is unfortunately very basic: Ariane 5 retires. Indeed, Ariane 6 should take over. But with all the delays suffered, it is still not operational. Its inaugural launch is scheduled for the end of 2023 and its commissioning in 2024.
Ariane 6
The problem is that Europe has run out of time and has also fallen behind in deploying Galileo. Unlike the SpaceX constellation called Starlink, each European satellite weighs 700 kg. A mass that only certain companies in the world are able to send into orbit.
Alternatives to SpaceX
Historically, when the European space agency does not have a launcher capable of sending quickly, it turns to Russia. The Soyuz rocket is the alternative launcher of choice for this kind of mission. In Guyana, moreover, at the Kourou launch center, Russia has its own location.
Except that with the recent conflicts, the hypothesis of appealing to Russia has become a non-debate. Even to the point of canceling the two previous planned launches.
There is still India or Japan, but it is played out either on political instability, or the ability to quickly launch satellites of this size.
There are therefore only two possibilities left for the EU: SpaceX and ULA (Boeing and Lockheed Martin). Except that the latter have a problem with their Vulcan Centaur launcher, also putting the company out of play.
It can only be SpaceX
It is obvious, it is SpaceX that must be chosen. This has many advantages, such as a lower cost per launch and a higher launch rate. On the other hand, the private company aspect makes one cringe and shows the weak development of the European program. We thus discover in the columns of
Politico
that the European Commission wants to conclude an agreement with SpaceX. But this will require an agreement with the 27 Member States.
This is how the private aspect disturbs. Because Ariane 6 will not be a revolutionary launcher. These are new technologies, increasing efficiency and lowering the cost per launch, but using an old concept. The rocket is not reusable and is lost at each launch.
However, for many years rumors have suggested that Ariane Group is working on a reusable launcher. Except that so far there’s still nothing and development just hasn’t started.
In the end, this risks showing how obsolete Ariane is before it has even started its career. But the development being too advanced, there is no going back. Even if using Ariane 5 while waiting for a reusable launcher was the most economical solution.
1683525524
#Europe #wall #entrust #biggest #project #Elon #Musk
