N° 25–2018: Press release from Eurospace and ESA

Jan Woerner, ESA DG, underlined the substantial evolution expected to occur in the various fields of space activity and the different roles that players and stakeholders, and primarily the Agency’s activities and programmes will be called upon to play in the coming years, and presented his proposals to contribute to a United Europe in Space bycarrying out the Agency’s programmes and activities and related Downstream Activities starting in 2020 around and within the following four pillars:

• Science and Exploration: comprising Space Science and Human and Robotic Exploration;
• Safety and Security: comprising Space Safety, Safety and Security Applications, and Cybersecurity;
• Applications: comprising Telecommunication, Earth Observation, Navigation; and

• Enabling and Support – comprising Technology, Space Transportation and Operations.

 Jean-Loic Galle, Eurospace President, underlined how the significant growth of resources recently proposed by the European Commission in the EU MFF 2021-2027 Space Programme needs to be sustained by a significant intensification of investments on Member States side, through ESA, in order to keep-up on the long-term with the sharp growth taking place in other space powers. In this regard he said: “we recommend a set of initiatives, to be decided at next ministerial Council in 2019 in order to meet several societal challenges, to implement a true space economy; but also because Europe shall have new flagship programmes, after Rosetta or ExoMars or Galileo and Copernicus. New flagship programmes are needed to catalyse massive investments and to result in a competitive leap forward. ESA is the place where these new adventures can be born”.

Jan Woerner and Jean-Loic Galle shared the need for the European space sector to have at disposal resources commensurate with both EU and Member States political ambitions and Industry competitiveness challenges. In this regard - they said - next ESA ministerial Council in 2019 will be a turning point for the perspectives of the European space sector and for the value it will be able to generate for Europe in the years to come.

About Eurospace

Eurospace, the association of European space industry created in 1961, is a non-profit organization incorporated under the French law, which shall promote space activities in Europe in the interest of its members, a better understanding of space industry related issues and shall define, adopt and express common views.

Eurospace has been representing since 2004 the Space interests of ASD (AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe).

Eurospace members are 42 European companies – from 14 European countries - active in design, development and manufacturing of space systems; they represent altogether more than 90% of the total European manufacturing industry sales and employment.

ASD-Eurospace is a recognised actor of European space policy and strategy, ensuring:

Industry representation and spokesperson, acting as reference body for consultation and dialogue within the space industry and with European institutions 

- Coordination and information of industry and about industry

- Liaison with other industrial and non-industrial bodies

- Execution and publication of studies on space activities

The preparation, organization and documentation of international conferences on space policy, programme, technical, economical, legal andother relevant matters.

More details on public web: www.eurospace.org

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Slovenia is an Associate Member.

ESA has established formal cooperation with six Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities.

Today, it develops and launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space. ESA also has a strong applications programme developing services in Earth observation, navigation and telecommunications.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int

For further information, please contact:
ESA Media Relations Office
Email: media@esa.int
Tel: +33 1 53 69 72 99