Europe is increasingly relying on Elon Musk's SpaceX rockets due to delays in its own space projects and geopolitical tensions, according to a Telegraph report released today.
Per the report, the EU’s Ariane 6 rocket, undergoing tests in French Guiana, is three years behind its original schedule.
This delay comes at a pivotal moment in the global space race, with Russia now isolated from Western space operations and China's space program on the rise. Consequently, Europe finds itself without a functional rocket launch capability for the first time in decades.
Brussels has thus entered negotiations with SpaceX to utilise Musk's rockets for launching its Galileo spacecraft, a part of its sovereign navigation system.
"We have been negotiating with them for a number of launches," stated Toni Tolker-Nielsen, director of space transportation at the European Space Agency (ESA). The agency plans to contract four missions to SpaceX.
Despite the negotiations, the EU has well-known anxieties about SpaceX's Starlink satellite constellation's dominance, leading to the bloc’s decision to invest in its own network.
Ariane 6 was developed to succeed the ESA's Ariane 5 rocket, in operation since 1996.
Despite a 96% success rate for the Ariane 5, the Ariane 6's development has faced setbacks. Initially slated for a 2020 launch, the €4.4 billion (£3.8 billion) project’s inaugural launch has been pushed back to 2024.
Further challenges for Europe include the grounding of its Vega-C rocket after a failed mission and the cessation of its access to Russia's Soyuz rocket program due to the conflict in Ukraine.
"The availability of Falcon 9 makes it a very good choice," remarked Tolker-Nielsen, referring to SpaceX’s groundbreaking reusable rocket.
Ariana 6 will undergo tests on August 29, with further trials scheduled for September.