France, Germany and Italy have agreed to work on the next generation of space launchers, seeking to overcome tensions between the countries that have clouded the prospects of the European initiative.
(Bloomberg) — France, Germany and Italy have agreed to work on the next generation of space launchers, seeking to overcome tensions between the countries that have clouded the prospects of the European initiative.
The countries agreed to continue funding the Ariane 6 system, which has yet to undertake its first flight following delays and cost overruns, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, Germany Energy Minister Robert Habeck and Italy’s Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said at a conference for ESA in Paris.
They also threw their support behind the light Vega C launcher, saying that space launches by public institutions should favor European companies as partners.
The European Space Agency, which is dedicated to space exploration and groups together 22 European countries, will also work on micro and mini launchers, the ministers said in a joint statement.
The agreement comes as Paris and Berlin seek to defuse tensions that culminated in a ministerial summit being canceled last month.
Still, issues remain at the industrial level. While Paris and Berlin have reported progress on a joint project to build a next-generation fighter jet, the chief executive officer of French manufacturer Dassault Aviation SA, Eric Trappier, has poured cold water on the announcement, saying that no agreement had been reached between Dassault and the German arm of Airbus SE regarding new studies.
How the work on launchers will be divvied up also remains unresolved.
For the time being, the states involved are exploring “the conditions for the industrial and geographical distribution of work in exploitation,” according to the statement. France and Germany are the main contributors to the European Space Agency’s budget.
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has ramped up competition for Ariane, with the US firm’s reusable craft having a cost advantage over its rival’s expendable launchers. Still, the European-made rocket, which undertook its first mission in 1979, remains politically important in providing the European Union with an independent launch capability for satellites and space missions.
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