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Europe’s Space Ambitions After CM25



Following the European Space Agency 
Council at Ministerial Level (CM25) meeting in November last year, which delivered a record-breaking €22.1 billion in commitments from Member States , the ESA organised an event to recap the outcomes of that meeting and set the tone for exciting developments 2026. 
CM25 was historic for several reasons. Setting aside the huge €22.1B [1] of commitment it successfully transitioned ESA from being a purely civilian agency to one that would be actively supporting European security and non-aggressive defense capabilities [2,3]. 

Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General and Géraldine Naja, Director of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness highlighted that the purpose of CM25 was to make the EU more competitive in space endeavours. Towards that end the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite(IRIS 2) was strengthened by committing €383 million towards it and marking it as a cornerstone of the European Resilience from Space (ERS) initiative. 

The General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) also underwent a major expansion as its funding was increased by 70% and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum Technologies, Advanced Propulsion, and Sustainable Space were identified as high impact areas for the next decade. 

Infusion of funds into IRIS indicates that ESA wants to be prepared for disruption that may potentially be caused by starlink constellations. Although there are a few UK companies like Oneweb working in this space, the fact that ESA decided to create IRIS highlights how dominant telecommunications have become with space. So dominant in fact that telecom and other related applications like earth observation make up the majority of space endeavours. 

There are good reasons for this. First of all, telecom applications can generate revenue which other space initiatives can't do directly. They also provide services that are invaluable to defense. Consequently there are attempts to expand space communication. There are now talks about moving data centers in space. On paper this sounds good but I wonder how successful it can be in the long run considering that hardware on space satellites can't be upgraded or be repaired. Any server stack that is sent to space will eventually be destroyed as the satellite is decommissioned or deorbited. 

LEO satellite constellations may be cheaper than GEO but their lifetime is shorter as well and you need more of them. Add to this the fact that AI servers are getting more energy intensive, it seems a bit unlikely that space based servers could ever be viable if solar energy is all they've got to go on. 

Unlike land where solar panels can be spread over large areas in space,you don't have that structure to build the panels on. Further max power is capped at ~1.3Kw/m2 ,each panel being able to capture only about 20% of it.

These factors are working against space based infrastructure making traditional land based alternatives far more efficient,economic and robust.  
It's both a blessing and a curse that the space industry has become its own sector. While having a separate identity has allowed it to specialise it has lost some of the impact it had on sectors that supported its growth. 

This is problematic because all space based initiatives must deliver tangible,measurable results on earth for them to be economically viable.If they can't do that then funding will eventually dry up as will the interest. 

In the future of the space conference,organised by the Nikkei forum, that I attended last year,this was a very pressing concern. How do you attract talent in an industry that is not receiving funding? I distinctly remember one of the speakers saying that the space industry can only attract people who are passionate about space , this not being a career that one would choose to make wealth. I agree with the speaker that the current structuring of the space industry is such that it can't generate wealth. But does it have to be this way? 

I think what needs to happen in space is cross industry collaboration. The way it was during the early days of NASA[4]. Rockets are not built in isolation. They rely upon machine tools,materials, component manufacturing skill, specialised equipment like compressors,electrical and comm systems,fuel,cryogenics and so many more technologies. 

The space industry often ends up supporting cutting edge tools. Startups like blue origin are one of the largest users of friction stir welding. Advancements in carbon composites are paving the way for lighter rockets. Ceramic/carbon fiber composites are now being considered for hot engine parts. Liquid hydrogen is a rocket fuel but hydrogen is of extreme importance in automotive,marine and chemical industries as well. Pneumatic instruments used in rockets could power motors and tools used in consumer applications. Because the space industry is interconnected any advancement made in tools,materials or manufacturing will have ripple effects in the entire value chain.It is important that such applications be consistently discovered that can be applied across domains. 

ESA marked sustainable space as one of the key high impact areas. But sustainability needs coordination with other industries and it starts with materials. It is in the long term interest of the space sector to collaborate with organisations that are pushing the boundaries of sustainable engineering. I look forward to attending more talks by the ESA and see how they work with other space industries especially in Africa. 

REFERENCES 

1 CM25: A historic step forward for Europe’s space technology leadership
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Shaping_the_Future/CM25_A_historic_step_forward_for_Europe_s_space_technology_leadership

2 ESA members to decide on Europe’s future in space at ministerial conference
https://spacenews.com/esa-members-to-decide-on-europes-future-in-space-at-ministerial-conference/

3 Europe’s time to shine in space? 2026 preview
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/12/europes-time-to-shine-in-space-2026-preview/

4 NASA’s Legacy of Technology Transfer and Prospects for Future Benefits
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237726608_NASA%27s_Legacy_of_Technology_Transfer_and_Prospects_for_Future_Benefits

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