Europe braces for a rocket-launcher gap by 2030, ESA chief warns

The head of the European Space Agency warns Europe will face a shortage of homegrown rocket launchers around 2030 as demand for launches—driven by satellite constellations like Iris², Galileo and Copernicus, plus defence needs—outpaces Europe’s current capabilities. ESA is exploring expanded production for Ariane 6 (targeting about 15 launches per year instead of the current nine–ten) and Vega-C, and considering procurement and funding reforms to bridge the gap ahead of the 2030s and beyond, amid competition from SpaceX and China.