Open Strategic Autonomy in Developing, Deploying and Using Global Space-Based Infrastructures, Services, Applications and Data (Horizon Europe)

Today EU citizens enjoy watching satellite TV, increasingly accurate global navigation services for all transport modes and users (e.g. mobile phones and car navigation systems), extended Earth monitoring for land, marine, atmosphere and climate change, global meteorological observation and accurate cartographies of a wide number of variables. Space also makes important contributions to security crisis management and emergency services. These are key assets for the EU policies on climate, environment, transport, agriculture and secure society (e.g. Maritime Strategy, the Arctic Strategy, the Digital Agenda, the Common Security and Defence Policy, the Sustainable Development Strategy, the SGDGs). Finally, the space sector is a source of economic growth, jobs and exports.

This destination sets out a credible pathway to contributing to an open strategic autonomy in developing, deploying and using global space-based infrastructures, services applications and data, by reinforcing the EU’s independent capacity to access space, securing the autonomy of supply for critical technologies and equipment, and fostering the EU's space sector competitiveness

What is the goal to be achieved?

While being fully in line with the Space Strategy for Europe and the proposal for the Space Programme, contributing to an open strategic autonomy in developing, deploying and using global space-based infrastructures, services applications and data.

How can research and innovation contribute to achieving this goal?

Horizon Europe R&I funds will contribute to this by providing support with R&I funding to the EU space sector at large as well as making a specific impact with the EU action with research and innovation to prepare the future evolutions of the Space programme components. Research and innovation actions can contribute to ensuring the future of existing space programme component infrastructures, services and applications. Moreover, with research and innovation it is possible to investigate new future services or to develop innovative space capabilities such as SSA, GOVSATCOM and Quantum. This autonomy would however not be complete if we did not have the capacity to access space, to launch these infrastructures and to propose opportunities for In-Orbit Demonstration and In-Orbit Validation. As the EU space sector relies on a smaller share of institutional investments compared to other regions, this difference needs to be compensated by a more competitive space sector. Research and innovation and a strategy for critical technologies for non-dependence is another important axis of action. A guarantee for such autonomy is also to have a vivid and competitive downstream sector and entrepreneurship eco-systems in the EU.

Call topics for 2021

• End-to-end satellite communication systems and associated services
• Future space ecosystems: on-orbit operations, new system concepts
• Reusability for European strategic space launchers - technologies and operation maturation including flight test demonstration
• Low cost high thrust propulsion for European strategic space launchers - technologies maturation including ground
• New space transportation solutions and services.
• Evolution of space and ground infrastructure for Galileo/EGNOS
• Copernicus Climate Change Service evolution
• Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service evolution
• Copernicus Security and Emergency Services evolution
• Copernicus evolution for cross-services thematic domains
• Quantum technologies for space gravimetry
• Space technologies for European non-dependence and competitiveness

Call topics for 2022

• Future space ecosystems: on-orbit operations, preparation of orbital demonstration mission
• Technologies and generic building blocks for Electrical Propulsion
• End-to-end Earth observation systems and associated services
• Multi sites flexible industrial platform and standardised technology for improving interoperability of European access to space ground facilities
• Copernicus Anthropogenic CO? Emissions Monitoring & Verification Support (MVS) capacity
• Copernicus Land Monitoring Service evolution
• Space Weather
• Education and skills for the EU space sector
• Space technologies for European non-dependence and competitiveness
• Space science and exploration technologies