Folks, let’s clear the air. When you hear "EU space industry," you think of bureaucracy, not rockets. And honestly? I can't blame you. But this week, your reporter took part in the European Space Conference to verify it. Let’s take a look.
So is the EU that far behind in the space race?
Meet Copernicus, Europe's "Eyes in the Sky." It is the invisible infrastructure that powers your weather app and spots the storms before they even hit.
Meet Galileo, the EU's "Navigator." It connects your bank and your phone. And it's the only thing ensuring that when a geopolitical crisis explodes, the EU isn't relying on Washington to tell Europeans where they are.
And meet the new kid, GOVSATCOM. Because space is now a "dogfight," the EU finally has an encrypted shield for European leaders and the military to protect secrets from cyber-attacks.
But here is what Eurospace isn’t.
It isn't Starlink or SpaceX. While Elon Musk dominates the sky with thousands of satellites, Europe is still playing catch-up. And the EU's alternative, IRIS², won't be flying until 2029.
So, can the EU compete with the US and China? The talent is here, but the speed - not quite.
Europeans are missing Silicon Valley's private capital and European pension funds are too scared to bet on exploding rockets. While China and the US are shooting for the Moon this year, Brussels is still filling out the paperwork.
Hard work is ahead. In this era of hard power, can the EU be seen from space?
Because for now...all I can see is the Great Wall of China.
And obviously, Trump's ego.
Watch the Euronews video in the player above for the full story.