SpaceX Agrees to Launch 4 European Key Navigation Satellites Into Orbit: Report

Quincy Jon, Tech Times 23 October 2023, 03:10 pm

SpaceX Agrees to Launch Four European Key Navigation Satellites into Orbit: Report

(Photo: CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images) A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft launches from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on October 13, 2023. The spacecraft is bound for Psyche, an object 2.2 billion miles (3.5 billion kilometers) away that could offer clues about the interior of planets like Earth.

SpaceX has agreed to launch four of Europe's vital navigation and communications satellites, highlighting the Elon Musk-owned firm's growing significance in the international space sector.

The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union (EU), and EU member states must approve this arrangement before it can be put into effect. According to a Reuters report, the SpaceX deal will undergo review by European authorities before moving forward.

The Space X and EU partnership comes after a recent agreement for two launches slated for the future between SpaceX and the European Space Agency (ESA). The space agency's navigation director, Javier Benedicto, said each mission will carry two Galileo satellites, which are vital to the EU's global positioning and navigation system.

EU Showcasing a Changing Mindset in Launching Key Satellites

This SpaceX arrangement includes launching the key European satellites from the United States using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, which suggests a shift in the mindset of European policymakers.

Since the European navigation and communication satellites will be launched from the US, there were initial concerns from the EU about depending on a US corporation for crucial space infrastructure, according to Forbes.

However, several factors have affected this shift in viewpoint, including cutting relations with Russian rockets over geopolitical issues in Ukraine and technical issues with other European rockets.

The return to flight of Europe's premier space rockets has been a key scheduling issue that European space officials have been wrangling with in recent weeks, as there is a sense of urgency in this area as a result of delays and several issues, per Space.com.

SpaceX has not yet issued a statement on its deal with the EU. Meanwhile, the European Space Agency noted that it will ensure that Galileo continues to provide excellent services in the following months and years.

Elon Musk Firm Under Fire

The SpaceX news comes as the European Union and Elon Musk's social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), are in disagreement, as concerns over X's handling of violent content and false information during the Israel-Hamas war prompted the EU to open an inquiry.

EU investigators are examining whether Elon Musk's X violated the Digital Service Act (DSA), which might result in penalties or suspension. The DSA took effect in August and is intended to purge online platforms of dangerous and unlawful content.

Aside from X, the EU has called on Meta and TikTok to report their efforts to prevent unlawful content and false information during the Israel-Hamas war, as per an earlier TechTimes report.

SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk in 2002, has dominated the space industry, overtaking Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic.

Despite human space travel issues, SpaceX has had great success orbiting satellites.

Starlink, the company's low-earth-orbit satellite network, provides internet services in over 50 nations, boosting its importance in the space sector.