“Luxembourg has been a major player in the satellite communications business since the 1980s, with the founding of SES,” said Kristi J. Bradford, author of the report and a senior member of Aerospace’s technical staff. “The country is actively growing its space industry beyond satellite communications through its economically motivated national space agency and space resources initiative.”
The CSPS report provides insight into Luxembourg’s effort to promote and support commercial space ventures through government activities, including financial incentives in the form of research and development grants, and direct investments for commercial companies. These incentives, among others, have drawn new entrants into Luxembourg’s space sector. Other attractive benefits include legal frameworks to support commercial activities, academic and professional development programs, international engagement, and other strategies key to maintaining a robust space sector.
"At a time when multiple nations are creating new space agencies with strong charters to foster commercial growth, the Luxembourg case study can help policymakers understand the key variables in promoting space industry — whether to develop their own promotion models or respond to others’ efforts,” said Jamie Morin, vice president and executive director for CSPS.
The rise of international space endeavors and commercial space pursuits has generated a space environment that is congested, contested and competitive. Despite the challenges associated with new entrants to space, Bradford says it is important for the U.S. to recognize and seize the opportunities they bring.
“By supporting these countries in their space ambitions, the U.S. can promote responsible behaviors in space,” said Bradford. “This could also help the U.S. increase its influence abroad, mitigate the risk of countries seeking support from U.S. adversaries, open new markets for U.S. companies, and potentially even secure future partners in space.”
To learn more, download the Luxembourg case study at www.aerospace.org/policy.
About the Center for Space Policy and Strategy
The Center for Space Policy and Strategy is dedicated to shaping the future by providing nonpartisan research and strategic analysis to decisionmakers. The Center is part of The Aerospace Corporation, a nonprofit organization that advises the government on complex space enterprise and systems engineering problems. CSPS research is available on LinkedIn.
About The Aerospace Corporation
The Aerospace Corporation is a national nonprofit corporation that operates a federally funded research and development center and has more than 4,600 employees. With headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia; a technology campus in El Segundo, California; and major locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Colorado Springs, Colorado, Aerospace addresses complex problems across the space enterprise and other areas of national and international significance through agility, innovation, and objective technical leadership. For more information, visit www.aerospace.org. Follow us on LinkedIn and on X: @AerospaceCorp.