Relatively Europeans are more with little

Iconic site of European construction, the European space, after several decades of prestigious conquests, idling from half a dozen years. All the reasons for this mess have been regularly raised: always more competition from American and Russian actors, lack of public and private investments, crisis in the telecoms industry and its corollary, the drastic reduction in the market for satellite launches...

As indisputable facts but that may not be those who, in the end, now facing with the most weight. The image of a political construction fails, the European space project was also victim of national egoisms, most States concern mainly to collect the maximum return on the investment made, while reluctance to the abandonment of sovereignty necessary. A situation that Laurence Nardon, researcher at the Institut Français de Relations Internationales (IFRI), summarizes a formula: "the main challenge is to institutional order (...)". We are in a painful and complicated phase, because the issue of the leadership of the European space is not resolved. The France has long played the role. For reasons of strategic independence, Ariane, it launched in the 1960s and 1970s. But this dynamic is exhausted in the 1990s with the rise of ESA, but the Germans and the Italians, who were not satisfied with the Division of tasks previously performed by the French. Then, in 2000, the European Union began to turn, including via Galileo, more interested in space. The European Commission, which manages the Galileo program jointly to ESA, has taken more in addition to powers. A reflection is committed and it was decided that the Commission would now be the European political authority in charge of space and ESA's Executive Officer. It was felt, then, that would give a political visibility in the field of space, which would attract new players Europeans and new budgets. But in 2004, all is seized with the establishment of the team Barroso Commission who wanted everything back flat. The non-French and Dutch in the European Constitution, which granted constitutional importance to space, did later nothing help. Finally, the ESA ultimately did a more so want retreating to the simple role of executing the orders of the Commission. "It is therefore now a crucial lack of visibility".

No coherent scheme

An analysis shared by Jean-Pierre Maulny, Deputy Director of the Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques (IRIS) and specialist in the space, which deplores the absence of a common global pulse, including in the most strategic areas of the space sector: "In the military field, the Europeans are unable to implement a common and coherent system." National interests, industrial rivalries remain strong. As a result, we have a way of sharing capability and non-sharing capability: it was decided the sharing capabilities once while each has already launched its own programs. There was no consultation upstream, only after the fact. And the British, one of the major players, are out of kilter because of their links with the United States upon which they depend on space-based observation. Indeed, this can evolve, because Americans have sometimes poisoned the English, which they visited. "But this will be a heavy decision politically and financially."

The absence of consultation or entity fixing a common strategy to the actors are not only gaps. Is facing a more competitive space market, Europe did in uncomfortable not less to the means of success. Of course, says Jean-Pierre Maulny, "the Europe zone is depression, which explains the difficulties of same State funding when a decision has already been made." "The example of Galileo attests. But means financial limited, an effort is not less an option and a more intelligent policy possible. For Jean-Pierre Maulny, "must be a convergence of total public and private on the one hand, of the civil and the military on the other, otherwise it will be very difficult to get out in a very competitive market." A first step has already been done in this direction with project GMES (Global Monitoring For Environment and Security) to federate European activities in Earth observation. For at the outset, the European commission has registered the project within a military framework. "Should continue in this way even if that displeases the military".

67 And a policy of financial investment conducted both funds public and private, as this will be the case with the Galileo public-private partnership would require not necessarily of the various actors to satisfactory sacrifice.

Because Europe has all the advantages to start from the front. The telecoms crisis is certainly not complete, but observers all noted that a recovery occurs. With the launches of satellites market is recovering, it should be possible, term of re-injecting funds which are currently lacking in space.

The real challenge will be to convince companies that do not consider that to be a sector profitable, to make the investments required in new programs. In addition, the European space industry is now belong to a satisfactory order of battle. "For the duration of the crisis, restructuring have been carried out, past alliances." "EADS and Alcatel are now the only two masters to work on the segment of satellites which, while the market restarts, should promote things", said Laurence Nardon.

Resist the new competitors

Of course, Europe is not currently able to provide space also astronomical than those amounts that allocate it the Americans. But this is not fatal. The Europeans have already demonstrated that lower means they had the ability to stay competitive. "The United States spends annually about 32 billion dollars against a little more than five billion euros for the Europeans.". But Americans spoil also lot of money. Relatively, Europeans are more with little. "And the abandonment of European manned since 1992 projects allows to allocate funds to other sectors while the Americans, for which the space is an instrument of prestige, spend heavily to send men into space," she said. If Europe is not leader, she knew at least be in a position to resist the rise in the coming years new competitors. "The consolidation of three Europeans, Ariane 5 launchers, Russian Soyuz and Vega Italian at the Guyana space centre of Kourou, going in the right direction." "Beyond the expansion of the offer that realize the Europeans by expanding their range of gear, this shows that they understood the need to make allies," said Jean-Pierre Maulny.

And the future likely to compete with the European powers are not a threat in the short term and do not necessarily follow the right strategy. The Brazil, which the VLS rocket exploded on its not of Alcantara fire in 2003, accuses the coup even if does not abandon its space program and its desire to be self-sufficient in satellite launch. The Japan regularly encounters difficulties with its H - II launcher. China, which is associated with the Europeans in Galileo, perhaps an error by investing heavily on the flight, pledge of prestige is not necessarily profitable. The India, finally, with which Europe has traditionally good cooperation, could ultimately be more an ally than a competitor, consider several experts. However, should not lower its guard. Future rivals, including Europeans, seeing the rise in power, they have to way to go, because Americans and Russians will not allow Europe to Duisenberg. It must therefore prepare from now major upcoming programs. A necessity which European governments appear to not be aware, even though it has built its success in the 1990s on projects launched and funded twenty years previously. More than a year ago, the day where the European probe Huygens arose on Titan, François Auque, CEO of EADS Space, launched a vibrant warning: "how to prepare the future." Huygens mission launched by Aerospatiale, arrived today. What is the Cassini Huygens we are making Ariane 5 is great, but what are we doing to prepare for the launch vehicle of the future "Nothing... or almost nothing."