this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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Not until a European company produces reusable rockets. This has generally been opposed at Arianespace because it reduces the amount of work available in the host countries
That is literally the most foolish statement I have ever read. This attitude will literally make them go bankrupt. The only reason Arianespace still exists is because it's massively subsidized by the EU, it's basically a jobs program. What they're doing is nowhere near competitive with reusable rockets
True, and everyone knows Arianespace needs a reusable rocket now, but they never could start development until existentially threatened, so they start from scratch now
*did. They definitely could have
Physically yes, politically no.
And that's how you lose the space race
It's not a race. It's a jobs program which provides thought essential services to the governments. Just that nowadays, what is considered essential has been expanded.
Arianespace had lots of international customers, not just domestic government. Presumably that's all gone to SpaceX now, but that's a new development. Arianespace used to be competitive.
What I wanted to say is, even if they were to never again be competitive, they won't get dropped by the governments. They are a strategic resource of the European Union.