Europe has a reusable rocket program. The trouble is it's progressing at a slow pace. That didn't matter so much when Europe was part of an alliance with other countries, and could share their space tech. That old world is disappearing fast, and likely never coming back.
Instead, what used to be allies in a world of shared values based on international law has been replaced by authoritarianism, and where there used to be NASA, an oligarch-captured space program. Now former allies are siding with Europe's enemies, and talking openly about the destruction of the continent's political system.
This dithering, relaxed European approach to space tech doesn't cut it anymore. Europe needs its own Starlink system, and it needed it yesterday. Technology sovereignty isn't just about AI & replacing Windows OS.
Ukraine says SpaceX limits Starlink operations, disrupting military
Europe is still dithering on reusable rockets; a fatal flaw, as its former allies turn their space tech against it in a time of war.
byu/lughnasadh inFuturology
3 Comments
Europe spent two decades treating space like a committee meeting and now they’re shocked the table’s been flipped. The Ariane 6 delays alone should’ve been a wakeup call but everyone just kept chasing consensus instead of capability
Starlink is helpful, yes. Is it necessary? I don’t know. Just send a nuclear bomb to space and all of it will be gone anyways.
Europe always follows suit after the US, with like a 5 year delay give or take. No matter what the topic is btw. Drama, culture wars, issues and technology. Technology is arguably even worse tho