The American SpaceX will launch the European Galileo satellites
According to the Wall Street Journal, SpaceX has signed an agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) to launch four European Galileo navigation satellites into orbit. It will be the first time that Elon Musk's company will launch an EU satellite containing classified equipment.
In the end, Europe chose the American SpaceX to launch the Galileo satellites next year.
Elon Musk's aerospace company has signed an agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) to bring up to four of Europe's main satellites into orbit for safe navigation and communications. This is what theWall Street Journal revealed today.
ESA had planned to launch the Galileo satellites using the Ariane 6 rocket, but the latter has suffered frequent delays and is not expected to have its maiden launch until 2024. Furthermore, due to the war in Ukraine, Europe has stopped launches via the Russian Soyuz rocket from Kourou in Guyana from February 2022.
Without Ariane 6, and with the withdrawal of Ariane 5, the Falcon 9 of the US SpaceX is the only viable alternative for ESA to transport satellites into orbit including the launch of 4 Galileo satellites.
Already in recent months there was talk of a choice between launching the next satellites of the Galileo constellation starting from 2024 on a Falcon 9 launcher or waiting until 2025 for a dedicated flight for the global satellite navigation system on Ariane 6. The agreement is still subject to final approval by the European Commission and member states, according to ESA navigation director Javier Benedicto.
It is now undeniable that Europe is facing a real crisis in the sector of space launchers, essential for the deployment of satellites, La Tribune underlines today. "Europe today finds itself in a difficult situation with its launchers", said ESA Director General Joseph Aschbacher recognized this at the beginning of October, recalling that “independent access to space is an absolute priority for Europe”.
All the details.
THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN SPACEX AND ESA FOR THE GALILEO LAUNCHES
As ESA navigation director Benedicto told the Journal , the European Space Agency and SpaceX have signed an agreement for two launches next year, each with two Galileo satellites on board. The launches will be carried out via SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, he added.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GALILEO SYSTEM
Galileo satellites enable encrypted communications between European governments and operate the bloc's satellite navigation system.
The Galileo system is fundamental for Europe, as it makes it independent from the global positioning system (GPS) of the United States and from the satellite navigation systems of Russia and China. The service has been active since 2016, but additional satellites are needed to strengthen the existing network.
A FIRST TIME
SpaceX would launch the satellites from US territory, under the terms of the agreement. It would be the first time that Galileo equipment has been brought into orbit outside of European territory, except for the first test versions launched from Kazakhstan, highlights Engadget . All other Galileo satellites were launched from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, initially using Soyuz rockets and later the Ariane 5 system.
SOMETHING DIDN'T WORK IN EUROPE
What is certain is that relying on Elon Musk's aerospace company undermines the EU executive's insistence on building strategic autonomy, Politico recently observed.
Access to space is an inherent part of space, but "something didn't work in Europe" also admitted last month Massimo Comparini , Deputy CEO ESVP Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between the French Thales and the Italian Leonardo specialized in satellite manufacturing. Thales Alenia Space Italia itself had signed a contract worth 772 million euros with ESA for the supply of 6 satellites, part of the Second Generation Galileo Constellation in 2021.
As Reuters recalls, European officials said last month that in the coming weeks they will face crucial decisions on the timing of the return to flight of Europe's flagship space launchers following a series of delays. At the moment the countries of the Old Continent need SpaceX to access space. Without Ariane 6, and with the withdrawal of Ariane 5, the Falcon 9 of the US SpaceX is the only viable alternative for ESA to transport satellites into orbit, including the launch of 4 Galileo satellites.
Meanwhile, in 2022 alone Elon Musk's private American aerospace company SpaceX completed 61 missions, almost double compared to the 2021 launches. The declared goal for 2023 is to achieve 100 missions, 150 for 2024.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/lamericana-spacex-lancera-i-satelliti-europei-galileo/ on Tue, 24 Oct 2023 05:32:22 +0000.