Europe in Space: Ariane 5→Ariane 6, Galileo & the New Launch Market | SPACETIME Full Documentary

From Ariane 5’s legendary reliability to a wave of private micro-launchers—can Europe stay competitive?
In this SPACETIME special, astronaut Prof. Ulrich Walter maps Europe’s space playbook: the transition from Ariane 5 to Ariane 6, Vega/Vega-C for smaller payloads, flagship programs like Galileo and Copernicus, and the rise of a European “New Space” sector.

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What You’ll See

Ariane 5’s legacy: commercial GEO launches, dual-launch economics & reliability

Ariane 6 basics: configurations, cost goals & Europe’s path in a reusable world

Vega / Vega-C: small/medium payloads, rideshare, and the P120C common booster

Programs & payloads: Galileo (navigation), Copernicus/Sentinel (Earth observation), telecom & science

Spaceports & ground segment: Kourou (CSG) and Europe’s emerging launch sites

European “New Space”: startups pursuing micro-launch, smallsats & downstream data

Competition & strategy: pricing, cadence, sovereignty, supply chains & regulation

What’s next: reusability tech, methane engines, green propellants & in-orbit services

Chapters
0:00 Why Europe Matters in Space
3:05 Ariane 5: How Reliability Won the Market
7:20 Ariane 6: Design, Targets & Tradeoffs
11:10 Vega / Vega-C: Rideshare & Niche Missions
14:50 Flagship Constellations: Galileo & Copernicus
18:30 Launch Sites: Kourou & New European Pads
22:10 New Space in Europe: Startups & Smallsats
26:00 Competing with the World: Costs & Cadence
29:30 The Road Ahead: Reuse, Methane & Services

Details & Keywords
Europe in space documentary, SPACETIME Science Show, Ulrich Walter, ESA, Arianespace, Ariane 5, Ariane 6, Vega, Vega-C, P120C, Galileo, Copernicus, Sentinel, Kourou, Guiana Space Centre, European New Space, micro-launcher, smallsat, space economy, commercial launch market, European space program, full documentary

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