Ariane 6 cost and delays bring European launch industry to a breaking point

Enlarge / A pathfinder version of the Ariane 6 rocket is seen at launch facilities in Kourou, French Guiana. (credit: European Space Agency)

European space officials will convene on Monday and Tuesday to discuss the future of space policy for the continent. The "Space Summit" gathering in Seville, Spain, will encompass several topics, including the future of launch.

"Seville will be a very decisive moment for space in Europe," said the director general of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher, on the eve of the summit. "On launchers, and on exploration, I expect ministers to really make very bold decisions. I certainly expect a paradigm shift on the launcher sector."

Aschbacher has previously described Europe's rocket predicament—the venerable Ariane 5 has retired, its replacement, Ariane 6, is not ready, and the smaller Vega C rocket is also having teething problems—as an acute crisis. Now, it's possible this crisis will lead to the breakup of a decades-long partnership in Europe, led by the nations of France, Germany, and Italy, to collaborate on the development of launch capabilities.