The European Commission launches a new space safety project
Photo. ALEXANDRE LALLEMAND/Unsplash
The European Commission has launched a new project in the field of space safety. The pilot programme, entitled »Mobile responsive launch systems«, will focus on researching the possibility of launching satellites on demand.
„Faced with an ever-increasing number of threats, both natural and man-made, the European Union must be able to rely on sovereign resources to maintain access to orbit, ensure the continuity of its critical services and react in the event of an emergency. In this context, responsiveness is a imperative.- describes the European Commission in an information note on the pilot programme.
The announcement of the »Mobile responsive launch systems« project took place in July 2025. The European Commission decided to allocate nearly EUR 2 million for this purpose. Three studies will be funded, with a maximum value of EUR 650,000 each. The duration of the contract is estimated at 10 months.
The Commission does not specify the exact requirements that the launch systems should meet. The information note only suggests that the aim is to quickly integrate the payload with the rocket, prepare it and launch it. The EC does not rule out launches from mobile platforms. However, there is no indication of the time frame in which the launch task should be completed. More information will probably be available in the studies carried out by the winners of the tender.
The European REACTS project
As EuropeanSpaceflight.com rightly pointed out, the Mobile Responsive Launch Systems project complements the REACTS: Responsive European Architecture for Space project, which has been ongoing for several years and aims to analyse the European industry’s ability to deliver satellites into orbit within 72 hours of an emergency.
REACTS is coordinated by the German space agency DLR, and its consortium members include the largest entities in Europe, such as Airbus Defence And Space (German, French, Spanish), ArianeGroup, OHB System, Kongsberg Defence & AeroSpace, Telespazio and Safran. Since June 2023, we also have a representative from Poland – Creotech Instruments and Łukasiewicz-Instytut Lotnictwa.
The total value of the project is EUR 19.3 million. According to EuropeanSpaceflight.com, participants are currently working on the results from various segments of the project, which should be completed by November 2025.
Similar activities are being carried out by the US Space Force and the domestic industry. The goal of the Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) programme is to provide the combined forces of the United States with rapid response capabilities in space. The missions demonstrate the military’s ability to rapidly deploy satellites in crisis situations.
Firefly Aerospace is participating in the project, having launched a payload on an Alpha rocket within 27 hours of receiving the order as part of the Victus Nox mission in 2023. The success resulted in orders for further missions.
