European space officials on Tuesday rejected complaints by U.S. rocket builder S...
LAMPOLDSHAUSEN, Germany - European space officials on Tuesday rejected complaints by U.S. rocket builder SpaceX that subsidies are hampering its access to the European market, arguing the much larger U.S. market is virtually closed to Europe’s Ariane satellite launch vehicle.
“It’s a tough competition but we should make sure that it is done in a way that is fair,” Neuenschwander told Reuters at the opening of a new German Aerospace Center rocket test site in Lampoldshausen, near Stuttgart. “I think that you better clean your own house before you start to complain about someone else’s.”
SpaceX urged the U.S. government to seek remedies in upcoming U.S.-European Union Free Trade Agreement talks - an appeal that U.S. officials say they are taking very seriously given the growing importance of the commercial space market. Neuenschwander said European officials were focused on completing the Ariane 6 rocket, due to have its maiden flight in 2020 at 40 percent less cost than the current Ariane 5.