The Wall Street Journal reported that SpaceX has signed a deal to launch up to four of Europe’s flagship navigation and secure communications satellites into orbit. The report added that the European Union’s executive arm and EU member states must still give final approval for the deal, citing officials.
The deal underscores the growing reliance of Europe’s space industry on private American companies such as Musk’s. The company’s workhorse rockets are cheaper than the ones built by legacy launch providers such as United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. But the deals also highlight the EU’s struggle to secure independent access to space as it seeks to become a more significant player in a contested arena.
Specifically, the EU is looking to use SpaceX to launch its new fleet of Galileo geo-navigation satellites. These hefty spacecraft are designed to be a distinguishing mark for the continent’s space program. They can relay exact navigation and location data back to Earth. They also carry encrypted signals marked top secret for various governments, transmitted over them from ground stations in the EU’s high-latitude territories.
The deal would use the Falcon Heavy, a rocket that debuted in 2018 and is designed to haul large satellites into orbit. It consists of three of the firm’s workhorse Falcon 9 rockets strapped together and is designed to compete with the Vulcan rocket system that ULA plans to debut later this year. The company has attempted to perfect the rocket’s flight capabilities with each test launch.
However, relying on SpaceX has its risks. For one, the company has yet to complete a short hot firing test — which simulates conditions in space to gauge a rocket’s performance — on its own. It has been working with the French-based aerospace company ArianeGroup to develop its engine, but that project isn’t expected to be ready until 2024.
On the other hand, the ESA says it is comfortable with SpaceX’s partially reusable rocket technology. The agency uses Russia’s Soyuz launchers to carry out its Euclid astrophysics mission and the Hera probe of the Didymos asteroid. Still, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said those missions are now set to fly on a Falcon 9.
The two launches next year are expected to carry two Galileo satellites, Javier Benedicto, the director of the European Space Agency’s navigation and global positioning division, told CNBC. Those satellites will then be placed in their operational orbits. The first pair is scheduled for February, and the second will follow in March. Both are part of the EU’s planned expansion of its Galileo constellation to 24 satellites. The contracts for the two satellites are worth about $720 million. The deal is the latest sign of growing satellite investment that could help keep people safe and connected in remote areas. For example, OneWeb launched its seventh satellite this month, bringing its total to 218, the most of any commercial company.
