Europe's space agency welcomes UK deal with EU on satellites

OHB SE

08/09/2023 16:31

By Tim Hepher
       PARIS, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The European Space Agency on
Friday welcomed a deal for Britain to resume full membership of
Europe's Copernicus programme, easing doubts over the next batch
of climate-tracking satellites and the completion of development
work by European space firms.
    Britain said on Thursday it would re-join both Copernicus
and the European Union's Horizon science research programme,
ending a two-year post-Brexit standoff over funding.
    Copernicus is a set of six families of Sentinel satellites
designed to read the planet's "vital signs" including carbon
dioxide.
    Plans for six more "Sentinel Expansion" missions starting
from 2026 have left in suspense because of a funding gap of 721
million euros stemming mainly from Britain's exit from the EU.
    In an interview with Reuters last month, the head of the
European Space Agency - which co-leads the world's largest Earth
observation project with the EU - warned that work would have to
be suspended if there were no funding deal by next June.
    But following Thursday's agreement, Director General Josef
Aschbacher said the deal would allow UK scientists and industry
to benefit fully from one of Europe's leading space programmes.
    "The UK's full participation in the programme is a major
boost to the climate-change agenda, which relies on space-based
observations of our planet every single day,", Aschbacher told
Reuters by email.
    The agreement is a boost for satellite manufacturers
including Europe's Airbus  AIR.PA , France' Thales  TCFP.PA  and
Germany's OHB  OHBG.DE  that had been awarded contracts to build
the new set of satellites subject in part to an EU funding deal.
    But while the political agreement signals a further
improvement in bilateral relations between Britain and the EU,
sources said details of funding were being finalised.
    Neither Britain nor the European Commision gave a financial
breakdown on Copernicus, or said whether the 721-million-euro
funding gap had been fully closed.
    Britain's direct but smaller contribution to Copernicus via
ESA, which is not part of the EU, had been unaffected.
    Prior to the deal, Aschbacher had been among the most senior
climate-monitoring officials to voice concerns over wavering
support for measures to combat climate change.
    Leaving a hole in the Copernicus budget would have sent the
wrong signal on Europe's commitment to combating climate change,
he told Reuters last month.
    Thursday's agreement came as ArianeGroup, owned by Airbus
and Safran  SAF.PA , said it had successfully run a hot-firing
test on the main stage of the delayed Ariane 6 space launcher.

 (Reporting by Tim Hepher; editing by David Evans)
 ((tim.hepher@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 54 52; Reuters
Messaging: tim.hepher.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))