1.6. Space

In the field of space research, action at Union level will be carried out in conjunction with the space research activities of the Member States and the European Space Agency (ESA), aiming at building up complementarity among different actors. The objective is to maintain a globally leading role in space by safeguarding and further developing a cost-effective, competitive and innovative space industry (including SMEs) and research community and by fostering space-based innovation. Europe is playing a leading role in space research and in the development of space technologies and is continually developing its own operational space infrastructures (e.g. the Galileo programme and the Copernicus programme). In fact, European industry has established itself as an exporter of first class satellites and other space-related technologies. Nevertheless, this position is challenged by competition from other major space powers. The objective of this measure is the development of a research base by providing continuity in space research and innovation programmes, for example by a sequence of smaller and more frequent in-space demonstration projects. This will allow Europe to develop its industrial base and space research and technological development (RTD) community, thereby contributing to advancing beyond the current state of the art and to its non-dependence from imports of critical technologies. Standardisation should be supported in order to optimise the investments and to develop access to market. A number of challenges in space technologies have parallels to terrestrial challenges, for example in the fields of aeronautics, energy, environment, telecommunications and ICT, natural resource exploration, sensors, robotics, advanced materials, security and health. These commonalities offer opportunities for early co-development, in particular by SMEs, of technologies across space and non-space communities, including non-space industries, potentially resulting in breakthrough innovations more rapidly than achieved in spin-offs at a later stage. Exploitation of existing European space infrastructure should be stimulated by promoting the development of innovative products and services based on remote sensing, geo-positioning or other types of satellite enabled data. Europe should furthermore reinforce the incipient development of an entrepreneurial space sector, where appropriate, by well targeted measures, including support for space technology transfer initiatives. The objective is to develop advanced and enabling space technologies and operational concepts from idea to demonstration in space. The ability to access space and to develop, maintain and operate space systems in Earth orbit and beyond are vital to the future of European society. The necessary capabilities require research and innovation investments in a multitude of space technologies (e.g. for launchers and other vehicles, satellites, robotics, instruments and sensors) and in operational concepts from idea to demonstration in space. Europe is currently one of the three leading space powers mainly driven by investments by Member States through ESA and national programmes, but compared to the level of investment in space R&D in the United States (e.g. about 20 % of the total NASA budget) the European focus in future space technologies and applications needs to be strengthened along the entire chain: low technology readiness level (TRL) research, often relying heavily on key enabling technologies, with the potential of generating breakthrough technologies with terrestrial applications; improvement of existing technologies, e.g. through miniaturisation, higher energy efficiency, and higher sensor sensitivity; demonstration and validation of new technologies and concepts in the space and terrestrial analogue environments; mission context, e.g. analysis of the space environment, ground stations, protecting space systems and infrastructure against damage or destruction from collision with debris or other space objects, as well as the effects of space weather events including solar flares (Space Situational Awareness, SSA), fostering innovative data gathering and transmission and sample archiving infrastructure; satellite communication, advanced navigation and remote sensing technologies, covering the research essential for future generations of Union space systems (e.g. Galileo and Copernicus). The objective is to ensure more extensive utilisation of space data from existing, archived and future European missions in the scientific, public and commercial domain. Space systems produce information which often cannot be acquired in any other way. Despite world-class European missions, publication figures show that data from European missions are not as likely to be used as data from US missions. A considerably increased exploitation of data from European satellites (scientific, public or commercial) can be achieved if further effort is made for the processing, archiving, validation, standardisation and sustainable availability of space data from European missions as well as to support the development of new information products and services resulting from those data and, where appropriate, in combination with data from ground-based observations. Innovations in data acquisition and processing, data fusion, and data dissemination and interoperability, in particular promotion of access to and exchange of earth science data and metadata, utilising also innovative ICT-enabled forms of collaboration, can ensure a higher return on investment of space infrastructure and contribute to tackling societal challenges. Calibration and validation of space data (for individual instruments, between instruments and missions, and with respect to in-situ objects) are key factors in the efficient use of space data in all domains, and there is a need to enhance the standardisation of space-derived data and reference frames. Data access and exploitation of space missions is a matter that requires global coordination. For Earth observation data, harmonised approaches and best practices are partly achieved in coordination with the intergovernmental organisation Group on Earth Observation (GEO), aiming to sustain a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), in which the Union participates, namely by fully exploiting the Copernicus programme. A fast introduction of these innovations into the relevant application and decision making processes will be supported. This includes as well the exploitation of data for further scientific investigation. The objective is to support the European research and innovation contribution to long term international space partnerships. Although space information provides great local benefits, space undertakings have a fundamentally global character. This is particularly clear for the cosmic threat to Earth and space systems. The loss of satellites due to space weather and space debris is estimated to cost around EUR 100 million a year. Equally global are many space science and exploration projects. The development of cutting-edge space technology is increasingly taking place within such international partnerships, making access to such international projects an important success factor for European researchers and industry. The Union contribution to such global space endeavours needs to be defined in long-term strategic roadmaps (10 years and more), aligning with the Union's space policy priorities, and in coordination with the Member States and internal European partners, such as ESA and National Space Agencies, and, when relevant, with international partners and with the space agencies of space-faring nations. The implementation priorities of space research and innovation under Horizon 2020 are in line with the Union's space policy priorities as defined by the Space Council and in the Commission Communication of 4 April 2011 entitled "Towards a space strategy for the European Union that benefits its citizens". The implementation will, where appropriate, be based on strategic research agendas developed in consultation with the Member States and National Space Agencies, ESA, stakeholders from European space industry (including SMEs), academia, technology institutes and the Space Advisory Group. As regards the participation in international undertakings, the research and innovation agenda will be defined in collaboration with European stakeholders and international partners (e.g. NASA, ROSCOSMOS and JAXA). The application of space technologies shall be supported through the respective specific objectives of the priority "Societal challenges", where appropriate.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-04 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.