Europe is developing its own reusable space rockets, to have an alternative to the rockets created by SpaceX, the company founded by the co-founder of Tesla, Elon Musk. Considering that there is increasing competition in this market, but also that there is a need for rockets that can be reused, Europe is investing massively in this.
The European Commission has approved a project that will take place over a period of three years, with the name RETALT, and will bring the first reusable space rockets made by Europeans. Only 3 million euros were allocated for this project, but those from the European Commission seem to be convinced that there are chances for the project to be successful.
If it will be so, then Europe will be much more competitive in terms of sending satellites into outer space, but also in making more frequent flights into space. Of course, the project needs to be a real success for everything to happen, but considering that money is rarely invested, the European Commission most likely knows what it will get.
"This month, the European Commission revealed a new three-year project to develop technologies needed for two proposed reusable launch vehicles. The commission provided €3 million to the German space agency, DLR, and five companies to, in the words of a news release about the project, "tackle the shortcoming of know-how in reusable rockets in Europe." This new RETALT project's goals are pretty explicit about copying the retro-propulsive engine firing technique used by SpaceX to land its Falcon 9 rocket first stages back on land and on autonomous drone ships."
