The European Space Agency has tasked Airbus Defence and Space and OHB with leading parallel studies on the feasibility of a European-led space station in low Earth orbit. The agency announced the selection of these two consortia on 29 September, noting that six additional partners will participate in the research.
The studies focus on a scenario where Europe leads the initiative while accepting contributions from international and commercial partners. ESA expects the consortia to utilize existing European spaceflight technologies, such as the Columbus module and the European Service Module developed for the Orion spacecraft.
ESA has introduced strict financial limitations for the project. According to reports, development costs for the initial system are capped at €1 billion per three-year funding period, with a maximum of two such periods allowed. The agency aims to present these proposals to member states on 15 December.
This initiative follows a broader mandate from the International Space Summit held on 9 September, where member states identified securing a presence in low Earth orbit as a core priority. The current work serves as part of a strategy to enhance European sovereignty in human spaceflight.
