[jeeeb]

They’re offering to fund 160 million euros to bootstrap private enterprises providing launch services to the ESA. Of course they want to review the business plan to make sure it’s viable before dropping a bundle of government money on some random company.

[rapsey]

Which is completely the wrong way of doing it. They are the market. So define it and leave it to private industry to fund and develop the capabilities to meet their requirements.

If they say, we are willing to spend X amount of money on Y number of launches. You can rent our launch sites for tests. Here is a list of requirements. They would see incredible results.

But no europe must micromanage and do things in their own bureaucratic way that has always failed.

[ghaff]

To compare, meanwhile Astra just $80 million to relaunch (so to speak).