About: space policy
Macron announces launch of French space force
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday (13 July) said that France’s air force will set up a space command centre and be renamed the Air and Space force, to better protect outer space interests.
Europe has ambitious plans to explore the universe
Last spring marked 40 years since Czechoslovakian astronaut Vladimir Remek's flight to space and this year marks another anniversary. In November, the Czech Republic celebrated ten years since joining the European Space Agency (ESA). EURACTIV Czech Republic's media partner Aktuálně.cz reports.
Agricultural industry eyes space data
Data access has become a key issue for the agricultural sector, which could benefit from European space programmes. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Copernicus chief defends role of satellites in CAP’s ‘control’ system
The EU will launch a new satellite this week as part of the ‘Copernicus’ initiative. The earth observation programme has proved to be useful in dealing with natural disasters and its importance will grow to manage EU funds including the Common Agricultural Policy after 2020, director Philippe Brunet said.
Europe needs a flagship for outer space
There are few signs that the European Commission could change its 'business as usual' space strategy focusing on satellite services. Vidvuds Beldavs explains why the Commission should look to the Moon and raise its space ambitions.
More space for more Europe
2018 will be a crucial year to shape a stimulating new narrative for EU space policy. Jean-Loic Galle lists a couple of key points ahead of the 10th EU space policy conference taking place in Brussels on 23 and 24 January.
It’s high time Macron or Juncker gave a speech at ESA
Europe’s leaders need to set forth the threats to Europe that could come from failure to exercise space leadership. Vidvuds Beldavs suggests what Emmanuel Macron or Jean-Claude Juncker could say to take Europe to the forefront of space exploration.
EU mulls incentives for space technologies in farm controls
The European Commission is considering new proposals to encourage the use of technologies to monitor farm parcels receiving subsidies from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), an EU official told EURACTIV.com.
Jean-Yves Le Gall: ‘Mars is the pinnacle of exploration’
The European Space Agency has its sights set on the red planet. The only real barrier to a manned mission is the length of the journey, Jean-Yves Le Gall said in an interview with EURACTIV France.
EU-funded ‘Armageddon’ space mission hits funding snag
An EU-funded mission to smash a spacecraft into an asteroid moon to alter its trajectory, a possible dry-run for an exercise in saving the Earth from a possible doomsday scenario, has run into a cash crunch.
Europe’s navigation satellites suffer clock failure
The European Space Agency announced today (18 January) there were "failed" clocks onboard some of the 18 navigation satellites it has launched for Galileo, Europe's beleaguered rival to America's GPS.
Commission wants EU space strategy to boost growth in data-hungry private sector
The European Commission wants to step up European companies' role in the space industry by making it easier to access data from satellites, which the executive hopes will help increasingly data-dependent areas like car manufacturing and agriculture.
Joint European-Russia Mars mission gets funding boost
The second part of a delayed joint European-Russian mission to probe Mars for traces of life has received a crucial €77 million cash injection, the European Space Agency said Thursday (16 June).
European ministers approve new Ariane 6 rocket
European nations approved funding for a new Ariane 6 space rocket on Tuesday (2 December), pooling their resources in a single, simplified version to tackle growing international competition.
‘Galileo’ brand thrown out of orbit
The trademarks of the Galileo satellite system are under sustained legal challenge from a US headquartered company and the Commission is considering renaming the project’s commercial arms as a result, EURACTIV has learned.How can the EU respond to Kazakhstan’s starry ambition?
"When I was a small boy, Kazakhstan suddenly exploded into my and the world’s consciousness as the launch site for Yuri Gagarin's historic space flight. Nearly half a century later, the lift-off today of one of the largest ever commercial satellites from the same site is testament to independent Kazakhstan's continued desire to look upwards. A joint US and Russian venture, it will provide 4G communications for smartphone users in the West," writes Aleksander Kwasniewski, a former president of Poland.
Auditors slam EU over Galileo
The European Commission's leadership and management skills have been found wanting by a Court of Auditors report into the EU's much-delayed Galileo satellite navigation project. The report, published on 29 June, also blames individual countries for defending their commercial interests throughout the programme.
Minister: ‘Research activities must become interdisciplinary’
Ahead of today's (2 December) EU Research Council, French Research and Higher Education Minister Valérie Pécresse, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, spoke to EURACTIV France about the challenges of boosting research and development in Europe.
Ministers ask EU to guarantee access to space
In a resolution adopted this morning (26 September), European ministers responsible for space underlined the strategic importance of guaranteeing the continent's political and technological independence on space and unveiled their ambition to make Europe one of the world's leading space powers.
EU 27 eye increased EU action on space
All member states are politically committed to promoting more EU action on space, the French Presidency said after a two-day informal meeting of the bloc's ministers for space. But the issue of where the money for this increased ambition will actually come from will only be discussed later.
Galileo
The Galileo satellite navigation system is the European civil alternative to the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Russian GLONASS, both funded and controlled by military authorities.
Europe gets space policy after Galileo setback
The EU and members of the European Space Agency (ESA) have endorsed a space policy, committing themselves to increasing co-ordination both of their defence and civilian programmes, just days after the EU's satellite navigation project, Galileo, suffered a major setback.