Stan Rudenko (Aspire Space Technologies): leading Europe in the space race

Stan Rudenko, the CEO of Aspire Space Technologies, says it is important for Europe to have its own space industry. This is not only to counter America’s dominance in the space sector. The invasion of Ukraine has brought Europe’s independence in defense into focus.

Can you describe Aspire Space Technologies?

We are developing Europe's next-generation space transportation system. This includes a launcher and a spaceship. We have robust technology and an expert team, giving us a great chance to be the next big thing in Space. If you wanted to launch a satellite next month you would probably have to approach SpaceX. Currently, around 90% of satellite launches in the world are handled by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. However, there are space companies in the US, India, and New Zealand and our ambition is to be Europe’s SpaceX! After the conflict in Ukraine started, terms like space sovereignty and technological autonomy became very popular in Europe. To establish sovereignty Europe need to build independent competitive access to space.

“We are going to build rockets here and Aspire could become a major player in global space.”

Stan Rudenko

What will define Europe’s space technology?

To participate in the New Space Race Europe will need to deliver much more mass to orbit. Ariane 6 debuts in July, it has a version with over 20 tons to orbit, but it’s cadence is limited to only 10 launches per year. Other European companies are building micro-launchers with capacity up to 1-2 tons. In comparison Falcon 9 has 20t capacity and will be launched over 140 times this year. And it’s much cheaper due to reusability. So for Europe to remain competitive and ensure thriving space economy in 2030-s it is essential to have a large reusable launcher with high launch cadence. At Aspire we are going to deliver exactly this type of vehicle and then scale it up even more.

What are the risks and opportunities for a European or Luxembourg space sector?

Europe currently faces a risk of not being able to meaningfully participate in growing space economy because it is underestimating the need and urgency for a developed space sector. Launch is a critical infrastructure for access to space and sovereignty, it enables independent policies.
Luxembourg is a great country with an open society, a global outlook, and an ambitious space program. It still lacks launchers and spaceships but it has the opportunity to overcome these hurdles and create new Space-related capacities for Europe. We are going to build rockets here and Aspire could become a major player in global space.