00:00A revolution is coming in space according to the European Commission.
00:18To harness this, the Bloch's executive has proposed a new Space Act.
00:22Boosting EU's competitiveness in the space sector is the aim.
00:27EU Decode takes you behind the current space race this week.
00:32The main focus of the law is launchers and satellites,
00:35which are increasingly important for activities as diverse as communications,
00:40navigation, meteorology and renewable energy.
00:44In 2023, the global space economy was valued at 572 billion euros,
00:50according to the European Space Agency.
00:53It's expected to grow by around 9% each year until 2035,
00:58when we'll reach 1.6 trillion euros.
01:02But Europe lags far behind the US and has spent just 12 billion euros in public funding on the space industry,
01:09compared with 65 billion euros in the US.
01:12The same applies to private investment.
01:15980 million euros in the EU, compared with 3.6 billion euros in the US.
01:21The idea is to create a single market for space, with special support for small and medium-sized companies.
01:31The competition is coming not only from the United States, but also from powers such as China and India.
01:39Let's hear what Europeans have to say about this.
01:42Yes, space industry is important for competitiveness, productivity,
01:46so I look at it from economic terms, but not to exploit the space with no rules.
01:51I think a good idea to increase funding, especially for ESA, and to compete in satellite industries.
01:58It seems that we don't count a lot, in this moment, if we are placed in the comparison of China,
02:04the United States and Russia.
02:07I don't know, the role of Europe seems to be a bit in crisis, in this sense.
02:12It would be necessary to control the space space, because then, after a certain time,
02:19these satellites go out of use and fall back on Earth.
02:24Zero News reporter Grego Arlori is an expert on space policy.
02:29This new law will create a set of common rules across the EU for the space economy.
02:36One of the key pillars is safety to avoid collisions.
02:40Why more is needed in this domain?
02:43You need to imagine that above our head, we have a sort of traffic jam.
02:46You've got 11,000 satellites already, and it is expected to have 50,000 more satellites in the next decade.
02:54And adding to that, you have 128 million space debris.
02:59So you're increasing the risk of collision.
03:02So the commission is proposing to minimize the generation of space debris
03:06and to do some sharing position data in order to avoid collision.
03:11Another main pillar is resilience in the sense that the EU assets on space are under threat,
03:18namely from hostile powers such as Russia.
03:22What is at stake in that front?
03:24You have to consider space as the new frontier.
03:27So it is a zone that is contested by cyberattacks or electronic interference,
03:34targeting satellites or ground stations, for instance.
03:37And what is at stake is that you could lose the satellite or some services provided by the satellite.
03:43The commission is proposing to apply the same rule as cybersecurity
03:48and also to do a risk assessment throughout the life cycle of a space mission.
03:53Space technology has enabled a lot of developments in other areas,
03:58for example, wireless communication, solar panels.
04:02What does the EU need to do in order to become a leader in the global space market?
04:08So the commission is proposing to have a single market for space.
04:12It is also proposing to reinforce research and innovation, for sure.
04:17And, of course, it is willing to enhance international cooperation
04:22and to work with public and private stakeholders throughout the economic spectrum.
04:28This law does not cover military uses,
04:31but the EU has already created a defense strategy for space.
04:35The year after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine,
04:38the European Commission presented a space strategy for security and defense.
04:44The communication warned of the need to protect space systems,
04:48their supporting ground infrastructures and the data connections between them,
04:52including through joint space exercises.
04:55Meanwhile, the European Parliament recently commissioned a study on scenarios for space security in 2050.
05:02It warns of possible development of more weapons-targeting satellites and space-based defense systems.
05:09Our guest is Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defense and Space.
05:15Welcome to Euronews.
05:17Some studies say that within a generation one might be already mining on the Moon
05:22or manufacturing in space to keep the Earth's atmosphere clear.
05:28Is the EU ready to keep up with the competition with the US, Russia, even China and India on such developments?
05:37We are creating good legal conditions for single market in space industry for Europeans,
05:44so that is in some way simplifying life for those who are engaging in space industry,
05:51because if they will be registered whatever, you know, in Brussels or in Luxembourg or in Germany,
05:57then they will be registered in all Europe.
05:59You have already to rely on Elon Musk's SpaceX company to account for delays in the European Arian satellite launcher program.
06:10Can we find a solution to prevent relying so much on other international companies?
06:18We have several very good systems like Galileo or Copernicus,
06:24and now we are building Kairi Square for secure satellite communication.
06:29And in order to service those systems in space, we need to have good, you know, transport system.
06:33And that is what Ariane 6 is doing.
06:36But when we are looking into what is coming, we understand that it can be not enough.
06:41We need to build new capacities, both, you know, with the launchers, with the rockets,
06:46and also maybe with the new, you know, launching pads.
06:49So how much of the future European competitiveness fund within the scope of the 2028-2034 EU budget should be devoted to space?
07:01And how would you like that money to be used?
07:03Now the total allocation is around of 17 billion euros.
07:07So we know that just in order to keep continuation of exploitation of existing systems, we need to have more.
07:14So we need, first of all, to have good surveillance system.
07:17We need to be able to follow what is happening in space.
07:21We need to develop also what we call micro-launching systems,
07:25where our start-upers and small and medium-sized business are coming with very good ideas,
07:31you know, ambitious ideas, and I hope that we shall be able really to do what is needed to be done.
07:36Space could still bring many scientific discoveries and activities of economic value.
07:42Will it play host to international cooperation or become an arena of geopolitical competition?
07:49In the race to the final frontier, the EU faces the same challenges as here on Earth.
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