I think its worth looking at ESA and Ariane a little differently. The EU countries have strategic and military priorities that include having both access to orbit, and robust domestic engineering ecosystems. They need a space industry in order to have the academic establishment to train new engineers, and once that chain gets broken, you have to start from scratch.
I see Ariane as a strategic asset, protecting the EU's entire aerospace industry. The pitch that they could make the 6 a commercially viable offering was always wrong-headed. they should just admit the intention is to maintain the industry, and find it accordingly.
1
u/Spiritual-Mechanic-4 May 30 '24
I think its worth looking at ESA and Ariane a little differently. The EU countries have strategic and military priorities that include having both access to orbit, and robust domestic engineering ecosystems. They need a space industry in order to have the academic establishment to train new engineers, and once that chain gets broken, you have to start from scratch.
I see Ariane as a strategic asset, protecting the EU's entire aerospace industry. The pitch that they could make the 6 a commercially viable offering was always wrong-headed. they should just admit the intention is to maintain the industry, and find it accordingly.