Launch operators are the rocket fuel required to galvanize spaceports in Europe

Europe stands on the precipice of launching a satellite from the mainland. Until now, the Guiana Space Centre in South America has operated as Europe’s “gateway to space” but spaceports in SaxaVord and Andøya offer the tantalizing prospect of launches much closer to home.

Yet infrastructure alone will not get us there. A launchpad is only as valuable as the rockets that lift off from it. Without a vibrant launch operator sector to drive sustained demand, Europe’s commercial spaceport model cannot succeed.

For decades, Europe’s access to space has depended on a patchwork of arrangements — commercial, multinational and often reliant on non-European infrastructure. As a continent, we have finally woken up to the strategic weakness of not having sovereign access to space. Yet, we remain years away from true self-sufficiency, and progress will stall unless launch operators step up as active partners in shaping Europe’s launch ecosystem.

Across the continent, from SaxaVord in Scotland to Andøya in Norway and Esrange in Sweden, a network of new and revitalized spaceports is taking shape. Each reflects different commercial and regulatory models — some privately financed, others government-backed, some hybrid. This diversity demonstrates the entrepreneurial energy behind the emerging launch ecosystem, but it also exposes the risk of fragmentation.

If every spaceport operates to different standards, with different levels of government engagement, investment and regulatory readiness, Europe’s ability to compete on the global stage will suffer. Instead of a cohesive launch capability, we risk a patchwork of isolated efforts that struggle to achieve scale or interoperability.

Europe must start treating spaceports as strategic national infrastructure. Just as governments once led the construction of airports, seaports and rail networks, public investment and coordination are essential to ensure secure space access.

However, even the best infrastructure means little without the operators to use it. A thriving European launch industry requires not just multiple spaceports, but a competitive market of launch providers. Sustained cadence — not one-off demonstrations — drives cost reductions and builds the experience base that attracts investment and customers.

In other words, Europe must foster not only a network of launch sites, but an ecosystem of launchers. The success of one depends on the other. Spaceports need regular users to be viable, and launch operators need predictable access and coordinated regulation to plan missions and scale production. Governments should therefore view support for early launch operations as an investment in industrial capability and not a subsidy. Too many fail to recognize space as a catalyst for long-term economic growth and technological innovation.

We have seen this model succeed elsewhere. In the United States, NASA and the U.S. Space Force developed and maintained the infrastructure at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg, enabling a new generation of private launch providers to flourish. India’s ISRO and Japan’s JAXA have shown how state-backed launch sites can evolve into national assets that attract private participation and drive sustained industrial growth. Europe cannot afford to lag behind or remain dependent on non-European launch providers for access to orbit.

To achieve true resilience and competitiveness, Europe needs multiple, geographically diverse launch sites and a competitive ecosystem of operators capable of launching regularly. Together, they can form a distributed yet cohesive launch network that safeguards access to space even during political or logistical disruptions.

Europe’s strength has always come from collaboration. If we bring that same spirit to the way we set up and operate spaceports, we can establish a coordinated and resilient launch ecosystem. 

Volodymyr Levykin is founder and CEO of Skyrora.

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