sryforcomment t1_ixiq2fg wrote on November 23, 2022 at 7:08 PM

Reply to comment by Bewaretheicespiders in Berlin to Back French-Built Rockets in Race Against Musk by Soupjoe5

How about you compare space subsidies between ESA and the US over the last decades? ESA and its member states have a way leaner budget. You could say they're much more careful and efficient with spending tax payer money.

Bewaretheicespiders t1_ixjs2ll wrote on November 23, 2022 at 11:32 PM

And the US also had a failing, terribly anti-market approach as well. Right until the CRS program that is. And this program, and commercial crew after, showed that not only a competitive, free market approach to space procurement for the government in space was possible, but that it was much, much better.

When no one thought it would work, then everyone was just ignorant. But when you've seen it work and you still decide to give a monopoly to a single entity, then thats something else entirely, now you're just being stupid.

sryforcomment t1_ixjtr4z wrote on November 23, 2022 at 11:45 PM

Further commercialization of the space industry is already heavily underway in Europe and is pretty much orienting towards a market-based approach anyway, it's just going to take a while to truly see the effects.

The funding allocated for Ariane, Vega and new micro launcher startups across Europe to guarantee domestic launch options is pretty much nothing and is less market-distorting than those humongous budgets China and US have for space, whether civilian or military.

You do know EU governments and ESA have used and will use SpaceX rockets for some of their launches, right? ESA and its member states are never going to catch up to US or Chinese government funding on space. They simply lack the needed ambition. I'm just hoping European NewSpace companies are going to pick up the slack with mostly private funding.