It's rocket science: the European Union to accelerate space missions, says Breton

PARIS The European Union is investing heavily in rocket launches, satellite communications and space exploration to continue its success in space and the US and China's ambitions, its space chief said on Sunday.

Over the past decades, with advances such as the Arian Rocket or GPS-rival Satnav Galileo, Europe has sought to create independent access to space and Russian guides from the US to help its industry.

But recent US competitor SpaceX and its reusable rockets, as well as China's booming signs, have given new morale to Europe's ambitions, including last year's lunar landing.

"Space is one of Europe's strong points, and we are looking for ways to accelerate it," European Commissioner Thierry Breton, whose brief briefing on space, said in an interview with Reuters.

Bretton, the former French head of IT company Atos, said the EU budget would be the first to use new technology to launch rockets, including reusable goods.

The European Union will first sign a యూరో 1 billion deal with Arianespace, promising greater visibility rather than further innovation.

"SpaceX has redefined the standards of launchers, so the Arian 6 is a necessary step, but not the end goal: we need to start thinking about the Arian 7 now," Breton said.

Bretton, who hopes the European Commission will provide 16 billion euros in its next budget, said it would propose a లియన్ 1 billion European Space Fund to boost startups. He wants to launch a competition to give free access to satellites and launchers to startups, thereby accelerating innovation.

For the Galileo Satinv system, Breton said it would advance by the end of 2024 instead of 2027, a roll-out of a new generation of satellites, "the most advanced in the world", which could interact with each other and provide more accurate signals.

He wants to launch a new satellite system that will provide high-speed Internet access to all Europeans and start working on a space traffic management system to prevent collisions, which could lead to a rapid increase in the number of satellites.