Europa sucht seinen «Elon Musk» für die Raumfahrt und glaubt, ihn in einem belgischen Ingenieur gefunden zu haben

The European Union is on a mission to find its own "Elon Musk" in the field of space exploration, and they believe they have found him in the form of a Belgian engineer named Benoît Deper. The EU has awarded Deper's company, Aerospacelab, a substantial trust fund of 2.4 billion euros to build over 200 satellites for communication purposes, thus independent of the United States. The company, which was only recently founded in 2018, is set to construct 264 satellites that will launch into space starting from 2030.

This ambitious project, known as Iris2, aims to create a secure communication network for governments, military, and private companies, allowing the EU to reduce its dependence on the United States, whose communication satellite business is unreliable. The launch of the first group of satellites has posed significant challenges for the young company, which currently has only 500 employees and has only launched around 15 satellites so far.

A new manufacturing plant for the Iris2 project is set to be completed in Charleroi, Belgium, Deper's hometown, giving the city renewed hope as it transitions away from heavy industry. Charleroi, known for its steel, iron, coal, and glass industries, faced economic decline in the 1970s and now mostly features rusting industrial ruins.

The EU's decision to grant Aerospacelab such an extensive contract comes with inherent risks, as there are established competitors in the European market, including Airbus Defence and Space, one of the world's largest satellite manufacturers. However, Deper has confidently taken on this challenge, rejecting the notion of becoming a clone of Airbus.

His company remains agile, preserving its innovative culture and refusing to rely on established suppliers for certain components.