Europe Space Strategy Gets a Lift With Eutelsat–MaiaSpace Launch Deal

Europe has strongly entered the space competition, as Eutelsat, which is a satellite operator, in collaboration with the startup MaiaSpace from France would become the vendor to deliver future low Earth orbit satellites.

This will assist Europe’s move to be able to hold the ground independently, as it catches up with SpaceX. The agreement does not give a big show vibe, but it is definitely an enormous step towards independence in the context of space strategy.

New Launch Partner

The multi-launch agreement with MaiaSpace will probably begin in 2027, which will bring another option to the already large list of launch partnerships of Eutelsat. MaiaSpace, a startup by ArianeGroup, is developing a mini-launcher that will heavily depend on reusability. This is Europe’s way of saying that we can reuse rockets as well.

The Eutelsat executives are funding the deal with the thought of flexibility and resilience in mind, along with ensuring that Europe will not be left out with one launch provider in the increasingly crowded orbital marketplace.

OneWeb & Starlink

Eutelsat currently owns OneWeb, which is the only low Earth orbit satellite constellation in operation that Starlink is competing with. Despite the large numbers in favor of Starlink, OneWeb is playing a different game.

It has positioned itself as a secure and strategic alternative for the Governments, Military, and the Business Community that are operating in isolated or poorly served areas.

It is this very ability that has made OneWeb highly desirable to the French and British governments, where they regard it as an essential infrastructure.

Macron’s Push & Europe’s Space Ambitions

Emmanuel Macron, President of France, has been very outspoken about Europe’s need to enhance its space strategy, and this deal is a perfect complement to that vision. As France commits to speed up the usage of LEO constellations, MaiaSpace’s launcher that is reusable could be the foundation of the launch ecosystem in Europe for the future.

The aspect of reusability alone translates into lower costs and more launches taking place, which in the case of space, is the differentiation between being part of the game and being left behind on Earth.

The Gap Europe Is Trying to Close

SpaceX has spent a very long time in order to achieve the seamless use of reusable rockets, and they have even launched a huge number of Starlink satellites at such a high rate that Europe can only wish to have. On the other hand, there is Europe’s Ariane 6, which is a non-reusable heavy launch system.

The partially reusable concept of MaiaSpace will not close the gap but will definitely cover a bit of it, specifically as the need for satellite launch continues to grow.

Complicated Launch History

Eutelsat’s launch history is basically like a geopolitical textbook. Recently, it has been leaning on SpaceX and India’s ISRO, and at one time it had even launched OneWeb satellites with Russia’s Soyuz rockets, but dropped this collaboration after the Ukraine war broke out.

The MaiaSpace agreement helps to diminish these dependencies, which allows Europe to have more of a say regarding the timing and location of its satellites in orbit.

Looking Ahead

In years to come, Eutelsat is going to launch 440 LEO satellites, which are going to be built  by Airbus, in order to both expand and renew its network. This is a major investment that is going to need multiple launches that are going to be reliable and reasonably priced.

Although MaiaSpace is still in the developmental stage, its participation indicates trust that Europe is finally constructing the necessary tools to compete in a space economy, which is increasingly dictated by private players.

Eutelsat’s agreement with MaiaSpace isn’t one of those earthshattering events like moon landing, but it is a clever and a deliberate slowdown in the right direction. While Starlink is still moving fast, Europe is opting for strategy, and is emphasizing upon independence, safety and future capability.

In the space race, impressive rocket launches are attention-grabbing, but slow and steady planning is what keeps the satellites in orbit eventually.