Europe is getting serious about space policy
Overhauling European space law brings massive enforcement power over domestic and foreign satellite operators, including on-site inspections and steep fines to uphold safety.
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Hello, and welcome to this week’s edition of The View from Space.
🇪🇺 The European Commission unveiled its long-awaited draft of the EU Space Act June 25. Jason Rainbow in Space News says it marks ‘a decisive shift in how Europe intends to shape and safeguard its growing space economy’ adding that Europe is ‘getting serious’ about space:
‘The 119 individual legal provisions in the draft apply to all operators providing space-based services in the EU, including so-called “third countries” outside of Europe. In cases of breach, fines could be levied of up to twice the level of the profit resulting from the breach, twice the losses avoided or 2% of global revenue. …
While EU providers offering purely defense or national security services would be exempt from legislation, it remains unclear how the rules would apply to dual-use operators supporting both commercial and military purposes, especially with hosted payloads.
For non-EU space companies, the draft raises questions about navigating overlapping compliance regimes. Without an “equivalence certificate” confirming that a third country’s regulatory regime offers comparable protections, most operators will face dual obligations to comply with both their home country’s licensing rules and the EU’s market access requirements. …
According to the European Space Policy Institute, European space ventures attracted €1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) in investment in 2024 — a 56% year-on-year increase and the largest jump since 2014, though still well behind the United States.
While the EU Space Act aims to help sustain that momentum by establishing more predictable and cohesive regulations, the Commission has acknowledged the added compliance costs for operators and pledged support measures to ease the transition.’
📈 In a press release, the British government described the growing influence of space on the economy, reporting that space and satellite services are now estimated to support wider industrial activities worth £454 billion to the economy:
‘New figures, released on the opening day of the UK Space Conference in Manchester, confirm the nation’s increasing dependence on space. Space and satellite services are now estimated to support wider industrial activities worth £454 billion to the economy, or 18% of GDP. This is an increase of £90 billion on the previous year.
The government has identified satellite communications as one of five national space capability priorities, and the UK Space Agency has awarded four new projects £4.5 million to push the boundaries of satellite-based 5G and 6G systems.
Among these, MDA Space UK’s SkyPhi mission aims to deliver 5G and 6G connectivity capabilities directly to devices via low Earth orbit satellites. Orbit Fab’s Radical project is focused on developing in-orbit refuelling systems for telecommunications satellites. SSTL’s lunar communications system will enable deep-space communications capabilities, while Viasat’s hybrid GEO-LEO network is designed to provide global 5G Direct-to-Device coverage.’
🚀 Europe is increasingly looking to the Nordic countries for space launches as it seeks to reduce its dependence on the US, Reuters reports:
‘U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" policies and the war in Ukraine have prompted Europe to ramp up its independent capabilities in a variety of areas, including defence and space operations.
Amid fears that Elon Musk - Trump's one-time ally - could limit Ukraine's access to SpaceX's 7,000 Starlink satellites that are vital for the country's communications, Europe has been rushing to find alternatives.
But there's a mountain to climb.
In 2024, the U.S. carried out 154 launches of hardware into orbit, while Europe managed just three. Out of $143 billion in global public investment in space ventures last year, Europe accounted for only 10%, an EU study shows.
The trend towards lower Earth orbit satellites - which are cheaper and offer better connections but need to be deployed in larger numbers to maximise coverage - also poses challenges.’
🪖 Speaking to The House, UK Space Commander Major General Paul Tedman believes it is ‘highly likely’ the first assault on Britain will be in space. Sophie Church reports:
‘With Russia arming for a wider war against Europe, the UK is preparing for an attack on home soil. But just as Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine by hacking its satellites, the UK space commander tells The House it is “highly likely” this first assault on the UK will be in space.
“You need to secure the space domain before you can do anything,” he says. “You need to be able to control the space domain in order to secure the air domain, and that will provide you freedom of manoeuvre in the land and the maritime domain.”
Where the armed forces have historically combined air, land and sea capabilities, space has become an increasingly important arena for war.
But where our enemies are rapidly developing weapons for space, the UK is lagging behind. The UK launched its first spy satellite Tyche just last year. Only around one per cent of the UK’s defence budget is currently allocated to it, placing us in the bottom half of the G20 nations league table for spending.’
💅 Writing on that brief and much-derided trip to space on a Blue Origin rocket, Bernar Akcali Gur writes in The Conversation that the all-women crew ‘reinforced the enduring connection between style symbolism, and space travel’:
‘Space-faring nations spend millions getting both public and private companies to design suits for intravehicular activity (IVA suits) and extravehicular activities (EVA suits). The priority is not just functionality and safety, but also creating impressive designs.
High fashion house Prada is currently collaborating with Axiom Inc. to design suits for the forthcoming Artemis Mission, a lunar exploration mission led by Nasa. Another Nasa next-generation spacesuit features an exterior cover designed by Esther M. Marquis, who was enlisted for the project after showcasing her visionary spacesuit designs in For All Mankind, an Apple TV Sci-Fi series.
The European Space Agency (ESA), meanwhile, has contracted Maison Pierre Cardin to design the uniforms for training in its new lunar mission simulation facility, Luna, in Germany.
These and many other similar collaborations represent a continuation of the longstanding interplay between art, fashion and space technology. Science fiction books and movies have both influenced and been influenced by advancements developed for space travel.’
👨🚀 And finally, Group Captain Shubhanshu Skuhla, the first Indian ever to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS), has returned to Earth – with a big smile on his face: