Space industry: a time of innovation

The major nations and the key historical players in the space sector – which for a long time were the only ones capable of venturing into space, thanks to barriers to entry considered insurmountable – now face competition both from new entrants and from the privatisation of space ambitions. Arianespace now finds itself at the heart of these upheavals, caught between the rise of SpaceX, the war in Ukraine – which has deprived it of the Soyuz launch vehicle – and preparations for the entry into service of Ariane 6 and Vega C, all against a backdrop of European unity being undermined. Furthermore, at a time when satellites are being launched by the dozen to populate large constellations, the use of space must be sustainable. Furthermore, the Moon is once again becoming a target. Against this backdrop, Arianespace has had to improve its competitiveness and undertake a restructuring of its value chain governance. For its part, ArianeGroup is banking both on the success of Ariane 6 and, subsequently, on that of a small, disruptive launch vehicle, Maia.