The final decision depends on the launch schedule of the Ariane 6 rocket.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is in talks with the American private company SpaceX about using its rockets to launch spacecraft. It should be a replacement for the Russian Soyuz, which cannot be launched due to sanctions imposed against the aggressor country after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reports.
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It is noted that SpaceX is the main competitor of the European Arianespace. The rockets of the space agencies of India and Japan can also become possible candidates for the role of replacing the “Soyuz”. However, the final decision depends on the success of the launches of the European Ariane 6 rocket.
“I would say that we are discussing two and a half options. One of them is SpaceX, that's for sure. Another one, probably, is Japan. Japan is waiting for the first flight of its next-generation rocket. Another option could be India,” ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher told Reuters.
According to him, SpaceX is the “most operational” of all the options under consideration. At the same time, ESA needs to make sure that the rockets of the company and other applicants are suitable for launches, because “it is not the same as changing the bus.” at a meeting with Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin, he said that the aggressor country would withdraw from the International Space Station project “after 2024”. Later it became known that there are no clear deadlines for this exit, everything depends on the technical characteristics of the station.
