Europe urged to unite satellite programmes

Europe must ensure its competing satellite programmes work together rather than duplicate one another, European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher said on Thursday, warning that fragmented national efforts could undermine the region's ambitions for greater space autonomy.

Speaking on the sidelines of a space summit in Paris, Aschbacher said separate national programmes should not become isolated systems, arguing that connecting them could create a more powerful European network if interoperability was properly implemented.

"If we are able to connect them, then it is actually a very powerful system," Aschbacher told Reuters. "Under the condition that interoperability is implemented and is materialised. And this, of course, has yet to be done."

His comments came as new contracts were announced for the European Union's IRIS² communications constellation, designed to strengthen Europe's satellite capabilities and provide an alternative to non-European operators, notably Elon Musk's SpaceX. Initial launches under the programme to begin in 2029.

Germany's plans for a separate national military satellite network have heightened concerns about fragmentation and rising costs. Aschbacher said the ESA had held technical meetings with industry players to establish requirements that would allow the different systems to operate together.

On the second and final day of the French-hosted summit, Thales Alenia Space said it had signed an agreement with satellite operator Eutelsat to supply government payloads for 330 of IRIS²'s low-Earth-orbit satellites.

French President Emmanuel Macron also called for greater coordination and urged European governments to direct public procurement towards European companies, while saying partnerships with foreign firms, including US companies, should remain possible.