While NASA was holding the groundbreaking Ignition conference in Washington, the Munich Space Summit was underway. Reporting from the summit shows that Europe was largely hashing out its own issues. Space-focused government institutions across Europe were aware of the event in Washington – foreign representatives were there – but there was much to digest, especially with the less publicized breakout sessions on Wednesday, and little if anything about the NASA reboot filtered out into the main body of the summit.
Since then, observers in Europe have been publishing wrap-ups of Ignition ranging from “Europe is sunk” to “There’s opportunity, if ESA, or at least individual agencies and companies can rise to it”.
Here are two views from European space institutions. Many thanks to the institutions that responded to my query.
Slovenian Space Office
We advocate for a multilateral, multi-stakeholder approach as the foundation for space exploration, since the complexity of space activities makes clear that no country can succeed in isolation. As the newest member of the European Space Agency, we believe it is particularly important to act and communicate with one common voice, ensuring coherence in our shared efforts. In doing so, we also recognize the significant potential of the European space industry as a catalyst for innovation and growth, and Slovenia, with its innovative space industry, is ready to contribute to seeking solutions for everyday challenges. This is why we strongly support initiatives that bring partners together and encourage closer cooperation, as progress depends on strong partnerships built across borders and sectors.
UK Space Agency
A UK Space Agency spokesperson said: “We welcome NASA’s ambitious Ignition announcements and the vision they set out for human exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond.
“NASA and the UK Space Agency have a long history of collaboration, from launching experiments to Mars to protecting vital infrastructure from severe space weather. This will continue as we enter this new chapter in space exploration, with a wide range of expertise on offer from the UK space sector, including propulsion and power systems, lunar satellite manufacturing, communications and navigation technologies, and world-class planetary science. Our contributions to the European Space Agency ensure the UK space sector is well-placed to benefit from this change in ambition from NASA.”
Published by James Hydzik
James Hydzik is a technology geek focused on the junction of engineering, writing, and coffee. He joined Orbital Today in 2020 to help make sense of the Johnson government’s decision to buy OneWeb. Since then, he has taken on interviewing and editor-in-chief roles. James learned the ropes of editing and writing with Financial Times magazines, The World Bank, PwC, and Ericsson. Thus far, interviewing New Space movers has put the biggest smile on his workaday face. The son of an Electrical Engineer, James understands the value of putting complex topics into clear language for those with a lay person’s understanding of the subject. James is a European transplant from the United States, and as ex-KA3LLL, he now holds European amateur radio licenses. His next radio project is a portable 10GHz EME (moonbounce) station, as it combines his childhood interests in antennas and space.