European sanctions against Russia Ukrainian war led the Russian space agency Roskosmos to withdraw its Soyuz rockets from the European space race. This, combined with the withdrawal of its personnel from Kourou and the selective opening of its own spaceport, Baikonur, disrupted the launch of several European Space Agency (ESA) missions. Since then, the agency has been looking for launch alternatives and seems to have finally found them in SpaceX Falcon 9.
At the time, Elon Musk offered all possible assistance for both NASA and the rest of the space agencies affected by the disaster. departure from Russia. However, the ESA was also looking for ways to be independent. Not only from Roskosmos, but also from SpaceX.
Therefore, in addition to announcing the use of Falcon 9 rockets to launch two missions, in 2023 and 2024announced the third flight into space on the Italian Vega C and, finally, the launch of its own large shuttle: Ariana 6.
SpaceX will fill the gaps left by Russia
One of ESA’s big disappointments after the Russian withdrawal was the inability to launch ExoMars when it was scheduled. For this reason, while waiting for a new launch window and a rocket to justify it, they have been busy looking for new launchers for their next missions. And they already have them.
At the moment we know that Euclid space telescopewhose mission will be to study dark matter, will launch aboard a Falcon 9 in 2023. Next year, another SpaceX rocket will power Hera. This is a continuation of the DART mission, which recently successfully changed the asteroid’s trajectory.
On the other hand, as announced from Reuterswill also be launched in 2024 CARE FOR THE EARTH. It’s a satellite fruit cooperation between Europe and Japan study climate change from space. This time the Falcon 9 will not be used, but Vega S.
And the climax will come at the end of 2023, when the first launch will take place Aryan 6. So far, ESA has only had Aryan 5, of which there are three more units to be launched in the first half of 2023. Its improved version, Ariane 6, will be another tool to not depend on Russia, but not on SpaceX either. After all, one of Europe’s great goals is to have much more freedom to launch, without depending on other agencies, public or private, to launch their ships into space. They are on their way. Until that happens, however, they have no choice but to trust SpaceX.
Source: Hiper Textual
