Europe's Launch Infrastructure Costs Loom Large Amid Fiscal Crisis

摘要

Confronting a budget crisis that likely will take years to resolve, European governments have begun debating how to manage the increased operating costs associated with three separate launch vehicles and launch installations at Europe's spaceport in French Guiana.rnA parallel debate is taking place over whether Europe's governments can afford to invest in a major improvement to the current Ariane 5 heavy-lift rocket even as they start designing a vehicle to succeed it.