THE European Space Agency (ESA) initiated preliminary technical discussions with the SpaceXin Elon Muskwhich can lead to temporary use of your launchers after the war in Ukraine blocked western access to Russian Soyuz rockets.
Arianespace’s North American competitor has emerged as an important competitor to fill a temporary gap alongside the Japan and gives Indiabut final decisions depend on the still unresolved schedule of the European Ariane 6 rocket.
“I would say there are two and a half options that we are discussing. One is SpaceX which is clear. Another is possibly Japan,” ESA director-general Josef Aschbacher told Reuters.
“Japan is awaiting the maiden flight of its next-generation rocket. Another option could be India,” he added in an interview. “SpaceX, I would say, is the most operational of them and certainly one of the backup launches we are looking at.”
Aschbacher said the talks remain at an exploratory stage and any alternative solution would be temporary.
SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.
“Wake up call”
THE Europe until now it depended on the Italian Vega for small loads, the Russian Soyuz for medium and the Ariane 5 for heavy missions. The next generation Vega C debuted last month and the new Ariane 6 has been delayed until next year.
Aschbacher said a more accurate timeline for Ariane 6 would be clearer in October. Only then would ESA finalize a support plan to be presented to the agency’s 22-nation ministers in November.
He said the war in Ukraine demonstrated that Europe’s decade-long strategy of cooperation with Russia in gas supplies and other areas, including space, was no longer working.
“This was a wake-up call, that we have been very dependent on Russia. And this warning, we have to hope that decision-makers realize as much as I do, that we have to really strengthen our European capacity and independence.”
However, he played down the prospect of Russia fulfilling its pledge to withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS) after 2024.
“The reality is that operationally, work on the space station is proceeding, I would say almost nominally,” Aschbacher told Reuters. “We depend on each other whether we like it or not, but we have little choice.”
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Source: Moneytimes
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