Lack of space transportation ‘a huge problem’ for Europe

January 30, 2023

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/

Horizon Europe 2022-2023 – New Calls

December 22, 2022

Horizon Europe 2022-2023 – New Calls

The next round of calls for the Horizon Europe programme were issued in December, with closing dates in March! Europlanet is preparing a bid to the call entitled HORIZON-INFRA-2023-SERV-01-02: Research infrastructure services advancing frontier knowledge, which has a designated topic of ‘Astronomy and Astroparticles’.

This call provides an opportunity to develop a wider pan-European research infrastructure to support the European space community in conducting fundamental research in space exploration. We look forward to working with colleagues in astrobiology, astrochemistry and astrophysics on this and other RI calls.

Within the Digital, Industry and Space programme there are again specific calls for the space domain with a deadline of 28 March 2023. Those perhaps most relevant to the Europlanet community are:

HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-12: Future Space Ecosystem and Enabling Technologies, which includes technologies for debris removal, robotics for exploration and In-Situ Resource Utilisation. It is estimated 7 projects of between 0.5 and 2.4 million Euros will be funded.

HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-71: Scientific exploitation of space data. This call ‘supports the data exploitation of European missions and instruments, in conjunction,when relevant, with international missions’ in order to exploit ‘all acquired and available data provided by space missions in theiroperative, post-operative or data exploitation phase ensuring complementarity with activities already supported by ESA or national agencies during development phases.’ It is estimated 8 projects of between 1 and 1.5 MEuros will be funded

Details and guidelines on how to structure proposals can be found on the European Commission website.

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.

The Horizon R&D partnership is scaled down

October 12, 2022

The HORIZON R&D partnership, involving five industry organizations representing the whole supply chain, was launched in June 2021 along with other eleven research partnerships. However, long-standing strategic and political interests relating to space got in the way and Member States opposed the partnership. Following that, the Commission had to renegotiate.

This has resulted in a reduction of the scope, with the partnership now limited to the three areas of commercial telecoms, earth observation, and future space ecosystems.

What is more, the budget has been drastically reduced, from an initial €1.4 to €2 billion to €150 million for three years. With a new budget and smaller scope, partners now need to prepare a new strategic document for the partnership to replace the previous, more ambitious one, not an easy task though.

See more here

Secure Connectivity: Debate Gains Momentum

July 4, 2022

MEP Niklas Nienass recently expressed his opinion about the momentum the debate on the planned
European megaconstellation (“Secure Connectivity System”) is gaining. His main concerns are focused, inter alia, in three points. In the first place, he mentioned his concern about the achievement of affordable prices as regards the satellite-based Internet to weak regions. Next, he pointed out his concentration on a substantive development of a European New Space Economy. Lastly, he stated his concern about the timeline, providing that 2027 instead of 2024 should allow the EU to accurately determine the actual needs of Member States and shape the development accordingly.

Find his full statement and his report from his trip to the USA here.

Making Space Matter Summit

June 16, 2022

Friends of Europe’s Making Space Matter Summit in June 2022 will provide an alternative platform to discuss space matters and making space matter.

Space exploration, capacity, competition, infrastructure, and its role as a new market and security domain will prove to be defining issues for our planet over the next decade and beyond. Space has the potential to reap huge rewards for social good, progress in terms of our common digital future and ability to mitigate and manage the impact of climate change. Every aspect of our lives, and every policy, has the potential to be impacted by the way Europe and its partners approach the new questions of space. Satellites in particular, and the wider role of space as a new frontier of intelligence and real time situational awareness, will increasingly be an important facet of current crises and future conflicts.

The summit will take place on Monday, 20 June, from 10.45 – 18.00 in Brussels. We look forward to welcoming you.

7th World Conference on Research Integrity

June 15, 2022

The Co-chairs, Local Organising Committee and Programme Committee of the 7th World Conference on Research Integrity was pleased to welcome delegates to Cape Town in 2022!

The 7th World Conference on Research Integrity was held from 29 May – 1 June 2022. The theme of the Conference was “Fostering Research Integrity in an Unequal World”. The 7th WCRI was interesting and relevant to Research Integrity stakeholders across all disciplinary fields from the basic and applied natural and biomedical sciences to the humanities and social sciences. Important RI stakeholders included researchers, institutional leaders, national and international policymakers, funders and journals.

The discussion areas at the conference were focused to Research Integrity as a driver of research excellence and public trust, ethical best practice in authorship, publication and the use of research metricsas well as responding to research misconduct. Most notably, an additional emerging subtheme was referred to ensuring research integrity in the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Home

https://wcri2022.org/

Report of the Conference on the Future of Europe

May 20, 2022

The report of the final outcome of the Conference on the Future of Europe, including 49 proposals, was presented on 9 May 2022. The proposals reflect the expectations of European citizens on important topics, which also aims to provide an overview of the various activities undertaken during the Conference. The Conference has constituted an unprecedented experience of transnational deliberative democracy. It has also proven its historical relevance and importance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian aggression of Ukraine. The three institutions are ought to examine how to follow up effectively on this report, in accordance with their competencies and the treaties.

Read the full Report on the link: https://futureu.europa.eu/pages/reporting

From a European to a Global Green Deal

A delighted conference was held on the 12^th of May, jointly organized by the Science and Technology in Society forum (STS forum) and the European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA). The ‘From a European to a Global Green Deal’ high-level conference aimed to leverage of the ‘European Green Deal’ to achieve a ‘Global Green Deal’.

The speakers initially presented the energy regime for Europe, while the second panel was focused on the path to a Global Green Deal. This achievement needs new ideas, such technology and international cooperation, as well as strong education concerning the sustainable development goals. To this end, the European legislation shall take into consideration the rapidly increased environmental and energy trends, policy changes as well as policy challenges.

You can find the recording of the conference here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/stoa/en/events/details/from-a-european-to-a-global-green-deal/20220427WKS04141

STM: Towards a European Space Law

May 18, 2022

The number of satellites and debris in space constantly increases due to new developments in reusable launchers, small satellites and more and more private initiatives in space. Niklas Nienass recently highlighted the importance of a European Space Law evolution that ensures liability, security and sustainability in the entire European space sector. Furthermore, more actions relating to the EU Space regulation will be developed.

MEP Niklas Nienass Statement

Satellites are moving our society forward. And the more cost-efficient they become, the more sectors can benefit from their technology. For example, satellites can help optimizing processes in organic farming. But the more satellites there are, the more crowded the orbit becomes. In recent years, the number has increased rapidly. Increasingly, there is a threat of collisions with unforeseeable consequences.

Therefore, the European Union wants to set up mechanisms to make traffic in orbit safer and more sustainable. In February, the European Commission presented a concept for a common Space Traffic Management (STM).

The framework aims to set binding standards and norms for satellite operators by 2024. It also aims to use new technologies to continuously collect and analyze data on the space environment.

This week, the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE), of which I am a member, discussed the project.

For me, it is clear that the European Union must initiate a joint STM. However, I am also convinced that this can only be a first step. We need a European Space Law that ensures liability, security and sustainability in the entire European space sector.

I am very happy, that we have managed to include considerations for such a European regulation in the Committee’s statement on STM.

At the end of the month, I will travel to the U.S. to get first-hand insights into current developments in space. A series of high-level discussions are planned with Congress, the National Space Council, NASA, and companies such as Astroscale, Nanoracks, and SpaceX.

The future of space is currently being shaped largely in the U.S., and a future European regulation must be prepared for developments that will reach us from there in the coming years. At the same time, I am looking to promote our own positions, such as sustainability standards in orbit. In turn, we can learn from the Americans – for example, with regard to the development of a private space economy.

I want Europe to help shape the future of spaceflight – with technical innovations as well as with binding standards that ensure peace, security and sustainability in space.

Contact:
Dennis Yuecel
Communications Niklas Nienass MEP

MEP Niklas Nienass on the Future of International Cooperation

March 16, 2022

Dear friends,

The Russian war on Ukraine has an impact also on international cooperation in space. A continuation of the cooperation with the Russian space agency Roskosmos seems to be questionable at the moment.

Tough sanctions against the Russian state and its profiteers are right and necessary. They cannot be avoided in space activities either. By his behavior, the head of the Russian space agency Roskosmos, Dmitri Rogosin, has damaged the mutual trust.

In this dynamic, the European project for Strategic Autonomy takes on a new urgency. Simultaneously, Europe’s technological independence must be flanked by multilateral efforts at the political level.

The short-term cancellation of the Soyuz rocket for OneWeb underscores that Europe needs better launchers of its own. They must be cost-effective and sustainable. The need for a European megaconstellation came to light twice in the first weeks of the war.

First, by the suspected Russian cyberattack on Viasat satellites and the resulting outage of German wind turbines – here, critical European infrastructure has become collateral damage in an international conflict.

Second, by the deployment of Starlink satellites in Ukraine. It is laudable if Elon Musk supports Ukraine with his services. But a democratic government in need should not depend on the goodwill of individuals. We need satellite-based Internet in public hands.

Strategic autonomy means that Europe is able to have its own access to space and is able to secure its critical infrastructure. Europe must be able to carry out essential missions with its own know-how. But technological independence does not mean isolation.

The greatest challenges of our time – from space debris to climate change – cannot be solved autonomously. A solution can only be achieved by working together. Cooperation here is not a question of wanting, but of having to.

Today, when technological cooperation in space is increasingly being called into question, an international political discussion of space activities becomes all the more important. The project of Strategic Autonomy must be flanked by multilateral space diplomacy.

Contact:
Dennis Yuecel
Communications Niklas Nienass MEP

Europlanet Society Webinar (29 March 2022): ESA Human and Robotic Exploration – A Strategy for the Next Decade

March 2, 2022

You need to be a member of the Europlanet Society to view this page.

Invitation – ESFRI 20th Anniversary Conference

February 24, 2022

European Research Infrastructures at the heart of scientific discoveries

Dear Colleagues,

The French Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Académie de sciences, with the support off the European Commission, are pleased to invite you to celebrate ESFRI’s 20th anniversary in Paris on 25 March 2022 at a specific conference that will discuss both the achievements and the future. During this day, prestigious guests will illustrate the connection between European scientific excellence in research and innovation on the one hand, and research infrastructures on the other.

This conference takes place under the high patronage of the Académie des sciences. It will bring together the many players who make up the ecosystems formed around these infrastructures: representatives of States, regions or local authorities, representatives of the industry, facility managers and, of course, researchers. Together, they will explore the dynamics of the development of a European landscape rich in research infrastructures and that has continuously grown over the past twenty years. Emerging trends and challenges for the future will be discussed as well.

Two scientific sessions will feature outstanding scientists and young researchers, who will share with the audience major works and discoveries that have benefited from these infrastructures.

The conference will be open to researchers, students and to the general public.

Please register your request to attend using this form by 5 March 2022. Participation requires physical presence.

More information on the conference program are available at the event page. Please refer to www.esfri.eu and follow @ESFRI_eu on Twitter to stay up-to-date.

The French Presidency of the EU and ESFRI

14th European Space Conference

December 15, 2021

14th European Space Conference

An aspiring event will take place on 25-26 January 2022 in Brussels, the 14th European Space Conference, organized by Business Bridge Europe.

The yearly high-level gathering of key stakeholders of the European space activities will return to the Egmont Palace in Brussels for a hybrid event of dynamic and thought-provoking debates and exchanges focusing on the theme:

“A New Era for European Space: Turning Vision into Action”

The Conference is an ideal event for extensive space policy work, providing the opportunity to European space actors to network and debate on the increasing importance of space for society, economy, climate, environment, security and defense, as well as on new priorities and initiatives that will be crucial to ensuring that Europe remains a leader in space.

Online participation is also foreseen during the whole duration of the event through the European Space Conference virtual platform.

European Research and Innovation Days 2021 Conference Report

The report of the 2021 European Research and Innovation Days taking place earlier this year, was published on 13 of December, the third edition of its kind. It contains summaries and quotes from the event’s 70 online live sessions and workshops, as well as from over 200 consultations between participants and Commission representatives at the virtual Horizon Village.

“European Research and Innovation Days” is the European Commission’s annual flagship Research and Innovation event, bringing together over 21,000 participants, policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs and the public to debate and shape the future of research and innovation in Europe and beyond.

The most notable conclusions include:

Europe’s collaborative research and innovation at the global scale are key drivers for a greener, healthier and more digital future for all.
Europe needs more synergies between policies, programmes and instruments at EU, global, national and local level to remain at the forefront of research and innovation, and to be effective at delivering a sustainable future;
Citizens need to continue having the opportunity to add their voice to the conversation about the future of European research and innovation. Civil society can play a crucial role when it comes to implementing the ambitious goals of the twin green and digital transitions of Europe.

The report will serve as a basis for discussions at the Conference on the Future of Europe and will also contribute to other citizen engagement initiatives.

The report and the event recordings are available for consulting and download.

The European Business Summit 2021

November 17, 2021

The European Business Summit 2021

With the theme “Beyond recovery: Towards a sustainable and innovative Europe,” the European Business Summit (EBS) 2021 is taking place on the 17th and 18th November 2021 as a hybrid event. The event will reflect on businesses’ contribution to the EU’s economic recovery plans, the Green Deal, and the post-Covid-19 roadmap.

You can now register to attend the event.

Browse the programme>>

More information>>

World Space Forum 2021 – ‘Space 4 Climate Action’

November 15, 2021

The World Space Forum series has become one of the global platforms for facilitating exchanges on best practices and more inter-agency collaboration in support of the internationally agreed global frameworks.

Building on the success of the conferences held in 2019 and 2020, UNOOSA invites you to register for the World Space Forum 2021 to take place fully virtually from 7 – 9 December 2021.

The World Space Forum 2021 programme will offer a platform for showcasing concrete governmental, commercial, academic and civil society actions in support of the work of the United Nations, especially in addressing the climate crisis.

More information about the WSF2021 incl. the latest version of the programme can be found on the UNOOSA website.

Conference on the Future of Europe

October 28, 2021

European citizens have the opportunity to debate on Europe’s challenges and priorities and stress concrete recommendations for EU action, through the Conference on the Future of Europe. The Conference is placed under the authority of the three institutions: the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission, who have committed to listen to Europeans and to follow up on the recommendations made.

European citizens, most notably the young ones from all the corners of the European Union, participate in the Conference aspiring to shape the future of Europe. The main components of the Conference are decentralized events, European citizens’ panels, conference plenaries, as well as communication via a multilingual digital platform.

The challenges facing Europe in recent years have made clear the need for open, inclusive and transparent debate about our common future. For this reason, the conference is a unique open forum that enables all Europeans to say what the Union should do and how it should do it to the benefit of all. Given that, Europe needs to deliver on issues that lie at the heart of citizens’ interest at the economic, social, health and security levels, by putting forward a set of concrete proposals and guidelines.

The Conference on the Future of Europe provides an opportunity to reflect on how to make the EU even better, stronger and more resilient. In order to address the aforementioned issues, the Conference recognizes the need to improve and create a genuine dialogue between citizens and institutions on the Future of the EU and the big challenges of our time.

One of the key components of the Conference on the Future of Europe is the Plenary Conference, taking place on the weekend of 23-24 October. It was composed of representatives from the three European Institutions, from all national Parliaments, from the EYF, as well as the European Citizen’s panels.

The final outcome of the Conference will be presented in a report, while the three institutions will examine swiftly how to follow up effectively to this report in accordance with the treaties.

For more information:

https://futureu.europa.eu/pages/about

https://futureu.europa.eu/pages/plenary