mariadina.lilis@gmail.com – Europlanet Society

16th European Space Conference, January 2024 – Registration is now open

December 1, 2023

The 16th European Space Conference will take place in Brussels, on 23-24 of january, 2024.

The conference will comprise several main sessions, punctuated by keynote addresses and one-to-one dialogues.

The focus will be placed on space economic security, autonomous access to space, the future of space connectivity, space commercialisation, the upcoming EU Space Law, the benefits of space services and applications supporting the Green Deal and SDGs.

In light of the unprecedented geopolitical context that Europe is facing, we will also debate the synergies between space and defence and the different ways forward for cooperation in the space domain with Europe’s partners across the world.

Specific sessions dedicated to targeted themes will host key personalities from the European space domain, including high-level representatives from EU institutions, Member States, the European Space Agency, national space agencies and the European industry.

To see the full programm and get your ticket, please follow the link.

ESA Space Summit: Ministers back Europe’s sustainable and competitive space ambitions

November 18, 2023

Europe will harness space for a greener future, take decisive steps in exploration, and ensure autonomous access to space while preparing a paradigm shift towards a more competitive next generation of launchers, following decisions taken on November 7th, 2023, at the ESA Space Summit in Seville.

Government ministers representing ESA’s Member States, Associate States and Cooperating States resolved together to strengthen Europe’s space ambitions to better serve European citizens.

Meanwhile ESA is modernising how it runs its programmes, speeding up its procurements and increasing its role as an anchor customer to commercial suppliers, while fostering the development of cutting-edge technologies and programmes.

Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General, said: “Space today is far more than space science, robotic and human exploration. Space has become strategic for the prosperity of any nation. Space policy is climate policy, industrial policy and security policy. It is a crucial tool for addressing global challenges. Space has become a topic at the global negotiation table. Europe must actively participate in this conversation.”

Anna Christmann, Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy, who chaired today’s ESA Council meeting at the Ministerial level, said: “Today, ESA Member States have reaffirmed their commitment to a strong ESA. By doing so, Member States have enabled the first steps towards innovative and competitive approaches that will revolutionise how Europe secures its future access to space as well as its role in exploration. A strong agency will also help to better use space to deal with climate change, benefiting everyone on Earth. I look forward to continuing along this promising path when the Member States meet for the ESA Council meeting at the Ministerial level in Germany in 2025.”

Accelerating the use of space

Earth observation data from space was crucial to identifying climate change. ESA will now help Europe to move from monitoring to managing – and harness the use of space to pursue climate action, supporting national and European efforts to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Asserting Europe’s rightful place in the world

The world stands at a pivotal point in space exploration. Over the past few years, the landscape has changed fundamentally. It will evolve even more quickly in the years to come: a new economy is developing in low Earth orbit that will transform space exploration in the years following the retirement of the International Space Station; and private companies are revolutionising the landscape from launchers to exploration.

At the Space Summit, Ministers launched a competition between innovative companies based in Europe to deliver a space cargo return service that will see a European commercial provider deliver supplies to the International Space Station by 2028 and return cargo to Earth. The service vehicle could evolve to a crew vehicle and eventually serve other destinations, if Member States so desire.

Next steps

ESA will work in partnership with the EU to coordinate the European demand for space services, demonstrating ESA’s role as the agency at the heart of Europe’s space ambitions.

The Summit’s decisions were passed by a resolution informed by the ESA Director General’s proposal to lift Europe’s ambitions for a green and sustainable future, access to space and space exploration.

They represent a further important step towards the Council meeting at Ministerial level to be held in 2025. The ESA Director General will propose an “ESA 2040” strategy to be prepared together with ESA Member States, which will be ready in early 2024 to serve as a foundation for the 2025 meeting.

To read to full Article please follow the below link: https://www.esa.int/Newsroom/Press_Releases/Ministers_back_Europe_s_sustainable_and_competitive_space_ambitions

SpaceX inks landmark deal to launch European navigation satellites: Report

SpaceX has signed a contract to loft up to four of Europe’s Galileo navigation satellites over two launches in 2024.

The deal, which Elon Musk‘s company inked recently with the European Space Agency, calls for the Galileo satellites to launch atop Falcon 9 rockets from U.S. soil, is what the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday 23rd of October.

“The European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, along with EU member states, must still give final approval for the deal,” The Journal wrote. “That is likely to happen before the end of the year, officials said.“

The upcoming missions will mark the first time that SpaceX launches EU satellites carrying classified equipment, The Journal noted, and the first time in 15 years that Galileo spacecraft launch from a non-European territory. (Recent missions have lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guyana.)

To read the full article please follow the link.

Space Briefing: for young and grown-up space fans

On his latest space briefing, MEP Niklas Nienass presents the latest news on the subject of space, i.e. exciting news for space fans of all ages.

As regards the young and young-at-heart space fans, Mr. Nienass states that he has just published a children’s book. He particularly states that, what is happening in space is often difficult to understand for children and non-experts. That’s why “Nikki will zum Mars” is the first children’s book about space in this format and the first children’s book that also explains space politics.

Further, after introducing the book at the Frankfurt Book Fair he gave it to the first experts, including UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini and ESA Director Josef Aschbacher, who, he can be spotted as a character in the book, in which he explains what the ESA is all about.

Additionally, Josef Aschbacher is now the perfect transition to the news for the big space enthusiasts. That is why, he visited the ITRE Committee and reported on the implementation of the Union Space Programme from ESA’s perspective.

Moreover, one of the topics discussed was Europe’s current lack of access to space. What was mentioned is that “we cannot carry on like this without independent access to space long-term. Regardless of how many innovative flagship projects we are creating in the EU on the ground. We cannot rely on launching all our projects with external rockets, but must strengthen the market with new procurement structures. This was also emphasised in the committee.“

Following the above, Niklas Nienass mentioned the welcoming of the announcement to launch innovative and competitive solutions when it comes to awarding launches. And these are urgently needed. After all, the Commission wants to use SpaceX to launch two Galileo launches – i.e. safety-critical infrastructure – into orbit in the first half of 2024.

Lastly, he advises whomever wants to know more about the current European space policy in “Nikki will zum Mars” and would like to receive a free copy (for now only in German) for themselves or as a gift, to send a message.

To see the full briefing, please follow the link below: https://niklas-nienass.eu/en/

The 3rd EUSPA HORIZON Call is now open

November 16, 2023

The new EUSPA Horizon Europe call is structured along 5 topics with a variable thematic span and objectives:

Develop commercial downstream solutions, based on synergies between the EU space programme components, for green, smart and more secure solutions addressing a variety of social and economic challenges;
Fulfill gaps in mature, regulated and long lead markets;
Develop new Copernicus-based applications for business and policy-makers;
Support the internationalization of Copernicus demonstrating the advantages and differentiators of EU space-based solutions outside of Europe;
Identify and address technological challenges related to the provision of GOVSATCOM services, improving operational terminals and demonstrating user access to early services.

The overall budget is 34,5 million. The deadline is on 14 February 2024.

For more information please follow the link.

Machine Learning for a new era of data-driven planetary science

October 11, 2023

The Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (RI) project looks at the many ways Machine Learning (ML) is revolutionising planetary science. The advent of Machine Learning (ML) has enabled a new approach, known as data-driven science. Using the wealth of datasets and streams available, ML can explore the data to find a pattern or commonality. Out of these initial steps comes a hypothesis that can be tested through data analysis, which, again, hopefully leads to a new understanding. Clustering or fusing datasets, moreover, can reveal connections that are not recognisable in the individual datasets.

The Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure is a €10m project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme, that supports the planetary science community. The project’s core activities are to provide access to facilities, field sites, and data services.

However, Europlanet also provides investment through ‘Joint Research Activities’ that combine the expertise of multiple partners to create the new infrastructure and services needed to carry out world-leading planetary research. Since 2020, the project has developed ML tools to handle complex planetary science data more efficiently and provide opportunities to combine and visualise multiple diverse datasets. This programme has been further enhanced through a collaboration with a second Horizon 2020 project, EXPLORE, which is developing applications for the exploitation of galactic, stellar and lunar data, and provides a platform for deploying and testing ML tools and services.

Further, Europlanet’s ML-powered tools are based on scientific cases proposed by the community that address key challenges in planetary research. From these proposals, seven cases were chosen to follow up initially during the project, and further cases have been added over time. All the tools are open-source, ready-to-use, and highly customisable, enabling other researchers to freely deploy and adapt them for their own research scenarios.

Lastly, it should be noted that, by developing ML tools tailored to data-driven planetary science, Europlanet has cemented collaborations, started to build new user communities and developed services that are already resulting in publications. While the planetary science community could be seen as late to the party in adopting ML, interest is now high. This couldn’t be more timely – with flagship missions to Mercury and Jupiter soon adding to the deluge of data streams, the era of data-driven science is only just beginning.

Europlanet 2024 RI and EXPLORE have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreements No. 871149 and No. 101004214, respectively.

Please follow the link here to read to entire article.

Opinion: As space exploration and colonization expand, off-Earth resources will create a booming market

September 24, 2023

With advances in space technology, we’re on the edge of the next gold rush—but not on Earth. Based on recent scientific and engineering breakthroughs and commercial interests, off-Earth mining is expected to begin in the next decade.

The motivation for off-Earth mining is multifaceted: access to an unlimited wealth of valuable space resources, the spirit of discovering new planets and the development of spin-off technologies to be used back on Earth.

However, off-Earth mining has many challenges: there are geological uncertainties—we don’t know exactly where the water is and how much there is; infrastructural needs such as landing pads; social considerations—people have a strong emotional attachment to the moon; and financial constraints, with high risk but high potential return.

Looking toward the future, the mining industry is working towards zero-entry mines (with no human access required) and invisible mines (low-impact, reduced-footprint mining sites) to reduce the effect on the environment, improve energy efficiency and achieve decarbonization.

Improved social acceptance and reputation are also critical for the mining industry’s future. The space resources industry is motivated by colonization and creating a market for its product.

The mining and space sectors both thrive in challenging environments, making collaboration essential. They can mutually benefit, with the mining sector gaining from systems engineering and autonomous technology, while space can leverage operational experience and market creation.

The path ahead is loaded with uncertainties, but merging mining knowledge with space exploration will be paramount in the years ahead.

Follow the link to read the full opinion.

Space Briefing: Space sustainability must take centre stage

September 15, 2023

In his latest post, MEP Niklas Nienass is discussing space sustainability. The theme was illustrated in multiple ways, such as (a) at the exhibition entitled “Out of sight-out of mind?” featuring artwork by British photographer Max Alexander, (b) at the Space Dinner that followed, as well as, (c) at the Space Forum.

At the exhibition opening in early July, the speakers emphasized how important it is to discuss space sustainability publicly. Aarti Holla-Maini (soon to be Director of UNOOSA) and Sara Lucatello (Vice-President European Astronomical Society) explained there is a global need to catch up on this issue. The subsequent panel discussion with Sara Lucatello, John Janka (Chief Officer, Global Government Affairs & Regulatory at Viasat Inc.) and Nikas Nienass focused on how space debris will jeopardize future space projects – with consequences for our infrastructure. As Sara Lucatello said, “The proliferation of satellites and space debris significantly limits our ability to explore and develop space” And John Janka added “Politicians must act now. I am enthused that there are initiatives like the European Space Law that address this challenge”.

Further, at the Space Dinner, the topic of space sustainability was at the top of the agenda as well. At the dinner, which was hosted by Mr. Niklass and GSOA (Global Satellite Operators Association), particular emphasis was placed on the criteria for a leading role for Europe in the sustainable development of space and the budgets and policies required for achieving this. What became clear is that space sustainability must take center stage – but we also need to be bolder, more innovative, and create space for the innovative SMEs and start-ups to flourish. That can only be achieved through European cooperation.

What is more, the need for European cooperation was addressed during the panel discussion at the Space Forum as well. It is noted that space is being used up as quickly as possible, without limits. Given that, we shall need clear rules, which can be achieved with the implementation of the European Space Law Initiative.

Additionally, MEP Niklas Nienass mentioned that clear limits are being set for the funding of the European Space Programme. Specifically, COPERNICUS is currently €721 million short, and it is still unclear whether this gap will be covered, or by whom. Negotiations have recently taken place with Great Britain, but it is already certain that they alone will not pay for the remaining amount. If the member states do not find a common denominator in the negotiations, COPERNICUS will be shut down for years. Mr. Niklass stated that we also need COPERNICUS to monitor climate change, atmospheric fluctuations and natural disasters, the reason why he is advocating for a hearing on COPERNICUS in committee after the summer break.

Consequently, he stated that on Wednesday 19 July 2023 the implementation of IRIS is on the agenda including proposals in the field of sustainability.

For more information about the live streaming, please follow the link.

Space Briefing: Space debris becomes a problem

June 30, 2023

According to his latest post, MEP Niklass Nienass, through an upcoming exhibition on space debris, is trying to give the topic of space debris a public platform. Based on his statement “what happens up there far away from us is reminiscent of the Wild West. And it affects our everyday lives more than many people think”.

It should be noted that in the international Space Race, the big players compete for the best innovations, for the biggest projects. What happens to satellites or rocket parts afterwards hardly matters. There are now 130 million tiny parts in space. Between 2018 and 2030, the number of active satellites is expected to rise from 2,000 to 100,000 – after their mission they’ll become space junk.

However, the problem with this infinite space is that things can get tight very quickly. Since 1999, the ISS and its astronauts have had to correct course 32 times to avoid collisions, Mr. Nienass said. Retired satellites can cause critical infrastructure to fail through collisions with active satellites.

Further, it is true, that space debris can come to us: Ten years ago, a retired Soviet satellite crashed in Hudson Bay over Canada. Such unburned parts can, in the worst case, hit areas of high population density.

To this end, Mr. Nienass makes the following questions: Do we really want to be so wasteful with our raw materials? Rare earths that are supposed to be useless after the Space Project? We need better solutions. Approaches already exist on how to better locate decommissioned satellites. And space waste collection: from 2025, ESA wants to use satellites to collect waste in space. We need more of that.

Official answers can get through the European space law establishment. This should oblige all space players to consider the sustainability and disposal of satellites and rockets in their projects. This law should then set standards worldwide – so that the Wild West in space comes to an end.

Find the full statement on the website: https://niklas-nienass.eu/

Space Briefing: New Position Paper in the Bundestag

May 15, 2023

Based on a recent post published by MEP, Mr. Niklas Nienass, it is noted that the SPD parliamentary group in the German Bundestag published a position paper (German) on Germany’s role in space.

It is highlighted that the spaceflight is increasingly considered as a political issue in Germany — especially since the paper offers a number of promising approaches. Among other issues, it states that:

the German government should advocate common standards and binding rules at European and international level and begin work on a national space law;
the German government should support the further integration of European spaceflight, assume responsibility in existing and emerging European space institutions, and constructively support the legislative process for an EU space law in the Council;
the development of a Space Traffic Management is necessary and safety in orbit must be ensured by researching and regulating the disposal of space debris. The according EU initiative is welcomed.

Mr. Nienass states that it is a good sign that the SPD parliamentary group is looking at German spaceflight from a decidedly European and international perspective.

He also comments that “In Europe, with the structure of ESA and national space organizations, we have a space landscape that is unique in the world. I am convinced that this diversity makes us strong. Germany plays a leading role in European and international spaceflight — and should also co-shape the international regulatory discourse accordingly. Common rules and standards are necessary to strengthen European spaceflight in the long term”.

Please find the full paper (in German) here.

The European Space Forum 2023

April 28, 2023

The European Space Forum will return to Brussels in 5 to 6 July, 2023, and will once again bring together key stakeholders and thought leaders for 2 full days of face-to-face debate. Focusing on the key pillars of security & defence, sustainability, competition, innovation and connectivity, the event will provide the opportunity to come together and discuss key challenges and opportunities as Europe looks to deliver on its space ambitions and secure its position as a strong and resilient leader in the global space market.

Key themes this year:

The EU Space & Defence strategy
Sustainability and safety of space operations
Space funding and investment in an uncertain world
The role of the EU in international space policy
IRIS² & Secure space based connectivity
Supporting SDGs through space
Delivering a competitive and innovative EU space sector

For more information on any aspect of this event please access the link here.

Space for Island Nations Conference 2023

The world’s first “Space for Island Nations” conference is set to take place in Crossroads Maldives, from May 2nd to May 5th, 2023. This event will bring together international space companies, policymakers from island nations and NGOs alongside experts in climate science and environmental management. It is the first ever space conference focused on Island Nations and the Maldives as a host country.

SINC 2023 is hosted by the Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO), as the first space organisation dedicated to the research and development of the space sector in the Maldives.

European Astronautical Capacities

April 4, 2023

Following the International Women’s Day, the premises of the European Parliament warmly welcomed ESA’s astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti as a guest, while her speech, as of the first female European ISS commander, was an inspiring event!

MEP Niklas Nienass had the pleasure to exchange views on how to further increase the number of women in STEM professions — especially in the space sector. It should be noted, that Director General Josef Aschbacher is proactively leading the way at ESA in this matter.

Further to the event, the future of European spaceflight was also on the agenda. Samantha’s dream was to launch into space on a European rocket one day. It is true, that Europe needs a strong voice in space — and as MEP Nienass said, “we must be able to live up to our political vision technologically. Europe needs the ability to fly humans into space on its own“.

These issues were also advocated by a high-level advisory body appointed by ESA. In their newly published report, the experts propose that Europe further expands its capacities in orbital and lunar spaceflight — both in terms of robotic and human missions. Among other things, they discuss the possibility of a commercial European Space Station in LEO and a permanent European presence on the Moon.

MEP’s Nienass view is to continue to rely on international cooperation in space — and at the same time strengthen our autonomy with sufficient investments.

Please read further on the site: https://niklas-nienass.eu/

Space Briefing: SpaceX in Ukraine

March 9, 2023

In his latest statement, Niklas Nienaß, MEP, commented on how risky the involvement of private companies in war zones is, mentioning also that this raises political questions regarding the privatisation of spaceflight.

More specifically, Niklas Nienaß stated that “whether or not combat drones controlled via Western services should be deployed in Ukraine is a difficult question that needs to be carefully evaluated. In the end, however, it should not be companies or private individuals who decide, but democratically legitimized representatives of the people“.

Further he pointed out that the privatization of spaceflight has unleashed immense innovation over the past decade, from which we will all benefit, calling for taking also regulatory action.

What is more, Niklas Nienaß said that international rules and competition are needed in order to prevent monopolies and dangerous concentrations of power. At the same time, democratic actors need to work on building their own technologies.

Given that Europe is now gaining momentum, with IRIS², Mr. Nienaß lastly mentioned that “we are building our own technological capacities” and, therefore, “now we need to create a blueprint for future international regulation with a European Space Law!“

Please see the full statement on the site here.

Space Briefing: At the European Space Conference

February 2, 2023

Following the success of the European Space Conference that was held from 23-24 January, MEP Niklas Nienass in his recent article highlighted the main outcomes, such as boosting the international understanding and cooperation, as well as concerns for Europe’s space autonomy, namely the technological autonomy, providing that “I am convinced that Europe should play a leading role in space – as a strong voice for peace, freedom and research. We must be able to live up to this political claim with our own technology”.

Further, he drew special attention to the topic of sustainability, by welcoming the fact “that the industry is now proactively setting the tone here. I hope that in the future the general public will also become more aware of the importance of spaceflight in the fight against climate change“.

With regard to his topic at the conference, MEP Niklas Nienass stressed the importance for a European Space Law, which is needed for future technologies, and that a “secure legal framework will strengthen industry, including new companies in this sector“.

Moreover, he emphasized on the importance of the new planned European constellation IRIS2, stating that it has “real added value for citizens. This means secure communication in times of crisis and better internet coverage across Europe“.

Lastly, he mentioned that “the final vote on the constellation in plenary is planned for 14th February. I am very pleased that after hard negotiations we have a project on the table that I can recommend to my group for approval without reservation. However, I will continue to follow the project critically and will particularly advocate the involvement of SMEs and start-ups“.

Please find his space agenda on the link below: https://niklas-nienass.eu/en/space/

New funding opportunity by 100x Impact Accelerator

January 30, 2023

The 100x Impact Accelerator offers entrepreneurs £150,000 of catalytic capital, world-class resources, door-opening connections and 12 weeks of programming to catapult their social venture into the future.

Deadline: 10 March 2023

For more information and application: https://www.100ximpact.org/what-we-offer

Lack of space transportation ‘a huge problem’ for Europe

In an annual press conference on the year ahead, held on 23 January, ESA’s director-general Josef Aschbacher detailed a spate of technical and political challenges that are severely hampering Europe’s ability to launch satellites and other craft. Among these are the loss of European access to Russia’s Soyuz rockets, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the European responses to it. “That means that as of mid this year, we do not have guaranteed access to space for use of our European launchers, and this is a huge problem for us, for all of us” Aschbacher said.

Vega-C and Ariane 6

In addition to the Russian freeze-out, ESA has suffered several technical launch failures since 2019, Aschbacher reminded the press. Last year, the inaugural flight of the Vega-C rocket went off without a hitch in July, but in December another Vega-C mission ended in failure and the destruction of the launcher after a sudden decrease in pressure, the cause of which is still being investigated.

Aschbacher said the agency was taking “several measures…to make sure we put everything on the management side on track to proceed and advance as quick as we can” with improving European access to space. As well as the work on Vega-C and Ariane 6, he said ESA would support the development of small, mini or micro-European launchers, capable of lofting payloads of up to one ton. ESA is exploring the use of a competition to launch payloads with such launchers, he said. But more generally on the transportation problems, he warned: “We need to really work on this to get back, to guarantee access to space for Europe again.”

Find out more info on the following link: https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-europe-infrastructure-2023-1-lack-of-space-transportation-a-huge-problem-for-europe/

Agreement at ESA Ministerial Council

November 24, 2022

According to latest news, Europe invests to space activities, given that ESA’s budget will be 16,9 billion euros, namely 17% more than the previous three-year budget.

Further, new programs are to be launched in the areas of exploration and satellite navigation, among others. Germany’s ESA contribution of 3.5 billion euros is higher than the previous contribution of 3.3 billion euros. Moreover, Germany remains the largest ESA contributor.

In addition to the newly approved annual ESA budget of approximately 5.6 billion euros, Europe will invest 2.1 billion euros through the EU budget and approximately 4 – 6 billion euros annually through the individual EU member states, for a total of around 11.7 – 13.7 billion euros. By comparison, the U.S. is spending 24 billion euros on NASA this year alone.

Based on this development, Mr. Niklas Nienass, MEP, commented that space is the sector of the future, while infrastructures in space are becoming extremely important for life on earth. Additionally, he stated that public and private investment is the chance for the forefront of space travel in the future. Furthermore, Niklas Nienass also recognized the German ESA contribution with regard to the budget increase as wise for the the beginning of Germany’s three-year presidency of the ESA Ministerial Council Conference.

You can find the presentation from ESA regarding the agreement here.

Political agreement on new European Satellite Constellation

November 21, 2022

On 17 November, EU lawmakers reached a preliminary political agreement on the new European Satellite Constellation for Secure Connectivity. Alongside the Earth observation program Copernicus and the navigation program Galileo, IRIS will become the EU’s third strategic space infrastructure. It should be noted that IRIS will be a multi-orbital satellite constellation providing connectivity, making European infrastructure more resilient and independent of third parties.

MEP Niklas Nienass stated that “satellite-based communication services play an important role in case of crisis. That is why it is good that the EU will build up its own infrastructure.” Moreover, it was provided that the need is to “consciously use of small and medium-sized New-Space companies and their innovative strength”.

Please find more information about the IRIS EU Secure Satellite Constellation here.

Space Traffic Management

November 2, 2022

The Space Traffic Management Dinner Debate will be held on the 9th of November and is part of Friends of Europe’s Making Space Matter initiative, in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA).

The race to space globally is crowding our planet’s orbit. Lower thresholds to enter the space means that more actors than ever before are competing to put their satellites into orbit. Private sector players, such as Bezos and Musk, are leading the way. In the absence of the ‘rules of the road’ in outer space, the congestion of space threatens the viability of infrastructure and operations. This is significant considering the security challenges and global geopolitical tensions that characterise the space race: the creation of space forces in China and the United States are two cases in point. Despite signs of political cooperation, notably between China and Europe, the default position in space is to protect national interests in an environment that is fundamentally uncertain and unpredictable. The overcrowding of space gives little room for errors and miscalculations, which in such a high-stake geopolitical context, can quickly escalate into open conflict.

In addition to the thousands of satellites operating under the watch of nation states, private companies and citizens, there are now over a million debris of at least 1cm orbiting around the Earth and threatening to damage space infrastructures and equipment.

The key role of the involvement of several actors like the Member States, significant stakeholders and close coordination between national and international government and commercial entities from the outset will support this path, concluding to an advanced policy framework, which is developing very slowly.

To this end, there is a need for a coherent set of technical and regulatory provisions that will ensure that the access, the activities and the return outer space are safe and sustainable.

Following the first Making Space Matter Summit, this invite-only dinner debate will look more closely at the importance of urgently tackling STM and the role that the EU plays at a global level.

Please see more information here.

Industry-Committee adopts Secure Connectivity Programme

October 13, 2022

After the landslide adoption of the position on the Secure Connectivity Programme in the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), the Rapporteur GRUDLER (Renew) and Shadow Rapporteurs SALINI (EPP), HRISTOV (S&D), NIENAß (Greens/EFA) and TOŠENOVSKÝ (ECR) are ready for a swift negotiation regarding this new Programme.

MEPs send a strong signal with the adoption of their position on the Secure Connectivity Programme:

“Less than 7 months after its introduction by the European Commission, the European Parliament is now ready to engage in negotiations with the Council for an ambitious Programme, that should strongly reinforce the European strategic autonomy. If the ITRE Committee mandate for inter-institutional negotiations is not challenged, the European Parliament position will be considered as formally adopted next week during the plenary session in Strasbourg. After Copernicus (Earth Observation), Galileo/EGNOSS (Satellite Navigation), and Space Situational Awareness, it is high time for the European Union to build the 4th pillar of its space policy. We are committed to make it a success.”

See the full Press Release here.