European space industry

New analysis highlights recent developments in UK and European space policy and industrial strategy, covering how governments are shaping regulation, funding and industrial support for the space sector. The discussion comes as Europe and the UK work to strengthen sovereign space capabilities and keep their aerospace industries competitive with the United States and China.

The EU's space commissioner is pressing for Europe to increase its rocket launch rates, according to SpaceNews. The push reflects growing concern in Brussels that Europe has fallen behind in access to space, with limited launch capacity and reliance on other providers. The commissioner's remarks highlight the bloc's ambition to strengthen its autonomous space capabilities and support its launcher industry.

The European Space Agency has awarded contracts to French cloud provider OVHcloud and IT services firm CGI to build a new system for handling Earth observation data. The platform will support the processing and distribution of the large volumes of satellite data ESA collects, strengthening European capacity in space data infrastructure.

Space technology company Open Cosmos took part in the first Vaduz Space Dialogue, a new forum focused on how Europe should approach space-based connectivity. The event centred on advancing a federated EU model, under which member states would pool satellite and infrastructure efforts rather than acting individually. The gathering signals growing interest in coordinated European space connectivity policy, with industry players like Open Cosmos positioning themselves within the debate.