One link is missing in Europe’s space defence strategy

Europe is building a space industry. 

Satellite companies are expanding, governments are investing, and in the Nordics two launch sites - Andøya in Norway and Esrange in Sweden - are preparing to send satellites into orbit.

But there is a missing piece: rockets.

- Launch opportunities are limited for new customers or new missions, there are not so many open spots, says Florian Loire, a space infrastructure consultant at Novaspace and a former ArianeGroup strategist.

His point reflects an imbalance. As earlier reported by Defence Nordic, Europe is investing heavily in satellites and services, but its ability to actually launch them remains limited.

Today, there is only one place where Europe can reliably send satellites into orbit. And it is located in a French overseas territory.

The site in question is the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana, where Europe's Ariane launchers are operated. Despite years of investment, it remains the only fully proven launch site for regular access to space under European control.

Demand, meanwhile, is rising. European governments are increasing spending on space-based capabilities, particularly in defence and communications. Commercial operators are building larger constellations that require frequent launches.

Europe’s launch capacity has not kept pace.

US in front

The scale of the gap becomes clear in comparison with the United States.

- If you look at the situation on the launcher business as of today at worldwide level, it’s SpaceX and the rest, Loire says. 

- They launched 165 times last year. That is to be compared to seven times overall in 2025 if you put Europe's Ariane 6 and Vega-C (a smaller Arianespace launcher) together.

The issue is not just the number of rockets, but how often they fly. Ariane 6 is only just entering service, while Vega has faced interruptions and limited cadence.

For Nordic countries, this gap is particularly relevant. Andøya and Esrange are expected to expand Europe’s launch capacity, especially for polar orbits used in Earth observation and defence. Both sites are central to Europe’s effort to diversify away from French Guiana.

Short time frame

But neither has yet demonstrated regular orbital launches.

That leaves Europe in a transitional phase. New launch companies - including Isar Aerospace, Rocket Factory Augsburg and PLD Space - are developing smaller, more flexible rockets aimed at increasing launch frequency.

If successful, they could ease the current shortage. But building reliable launch systems takes time, and early missions are unlikely to deliver high flight rates.

Loire does not expect a rapid shift. 

- If we talk about regular launch capability - around 20 launch opportunities - that would already be a significant improvement, he says. 

- A time frame of three to five years is realistic.

That would mark progress. But even then, Europe would still operate at a lower tempo than the United States.

Europe is building satellites, services and new launch sites in the Nordics. But until more rockets are available, and fly more often, the continent’s ambitions will remain limited by its ability to leave the ground consistently.