Italy and France signed a declaration on Friday 19 March announcing the creation of a High Level Group on European space launchers.
The stated objectives of the two Member States are to find a shared solution to the impact the pandemic has had on the launcher industry and to lay the foundations for a common vision on the future of European launchers.
Furthermore, in the declaration, the two countries invite the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission and, in general, all Member States to conduct an in-depth reflection on the future of European launchers. They stress the importance of “consolidating” the operating models of the future Ariane 6 and Vega C launchers and of developing a common vision for a future family of European launchers, ranging from micro-launchers to the development of a heavy launcher.
In any case, they set out a cardinal principle and believe it is necessary to create synergy between the different propulsion models of future launchers, citing the example of the Prometheus engine currently under development (which will be entirely 3D printed).
Germany to the rescue of Ariane 6. At the end of the 296th ESA Council meeting, the German government subscribed an additional 99.95 million euros for the Ariane 6 launcher in order to limit production losses and loss of earnings at the main German Ariane 6 production sites, after the postponement of the maiden flight by almost two years (a postponement that was necessary because of the pandemic, see EUROPE 12592/34), reported the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)