Abstract:
Andrius Kubelius, the European Commissioner responsible for defense and space affairs, recently said that the EU plans to vigorously increase satellite launches in the next few years and is seeking to open launch sites outside the EU such as Canada. According to Kubelius quoted by the British side on the 26th, compared with the period from 2016 to 2024, the EU plans to increase the number of government satellite launches from nearly 70 to nearly 630 in the next eight years, double the number of commercial satellites to 1,000, and increase the number of defense satellites from about 20 to nearly 300.
Kubilius expects that by 2034, the number of rocket launches required by the EU will reach 62 times per year, which is 6 times the current number. "We regard launch capabilities as a very important priority in space activities, which is crucial for us."
The EU's current space launch activities are mainly carried out at the launch site in French Guiana, South America. Kubelius said that by 2034, the launch site's annual launch capacity needs to increase from the current 10 to 14 launches per year. In addition, the EU seeks to open launch sites in continental Europe and outside the EU, including Norway, the Scottish region of the United Kingdom and Canada, and needs more launch sites capable of carrying heavy payloads.
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