The European Union has reached an agreement with the United States that allows the bloc to pay SpaceX for launching its satellites. The agreement is scheduled to be officially signed next week, Politico reports.
All this is necessary due to long delays in launching the next generation of the European Ariane rocket system. After many years of delays, Ariane 6 is set to launch this summer, followed by the first commercial mission.
Another reason why the EU is resorting to such arrangements is the impossibility of using the Russian Soyuz rocket because of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Diplomats spoke to Politico to explain the terms of the agreement. The agreement gives EU and European Space Agency (ESA) employees permanent access to the launch pad and the priority right to retrieve and store the debris of a SpaceX rocket in the United States in the event of a malfunction.
The contract with SpaceX provides for two launches of the Galileo global navigation system satellites this year. They are to be shipped to the United States on March 27. The first launch should take place in the second half of April, and the second in July.
The text of the agreement states that personnel seconded by the EU or ESA should have access to “classified equipment and documentation” related to Galileo. In addition, the EU has the right to post guards to protect its equipment.
