Faced with SpaceX dominance, Europe races to build independent access to space

Since summer 2026, Europe is concerned about achieving autonomous access to space by 2030. SpaceX's decision to halt Falcon-9 flights after 2028 has left European companies uncertain about satellite launches. The demand for launches is expected to surge, driven by projects like the IRIS² telecom constellation and military satellites. Christophe Bruneau from ArianeGroup highlighted potential capacity shortages that could delay critical projects, increasing reliance on American services like Starlink.