This week on The Lisa Burke Show, a powerhouse panel of experts explored Europe's precarious position in the new space race, urging urgent action to reclaim leadership through innovation, unity, and sovereign ambition.

We began this week’s episode of The Lisa Burke Show with Sasha Kehoe’s round-up of global news. From the diplomatic unease surrounding Donald Trump’s controversial allegations against South Africa, to critical updates on humanitarian aid delays in Gaza and Luxembourg’s shifting pension policies. The segment also touched on CargoLux’s heartwarming mission rescuing two brown bears, and the growing geopolitical stature of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni internationally. 

Europe’s place in the Space Economy

François Leproux has just published his second book on space: 'La nouvelle conquête spatiale: quelle place pour l’Europe face au NewSpace?', and he brought a passionate perspective on why Europe must reclaim ambition in crewed spaceflight.

A space engineer and author, François is building on his first book about the Hermes shuttle. He believes that Europe has the technical foundation, through Ariane rockets, industrial expertise, and past collaborations on the ISS, to lead independently. Yet without a sovereign crewed space program, François warns that Europe risks becoming irrelevant in the geopolitical narrative of space exploration. His call is urgent: invest in autonomy, unify internally, and inspire a new generation with human-led missions.

Joining us online from Paris, Aurélie Bressollette, CEO of Latitude, offered a commercial lens on the space economy. With a formidable background at Airbus, OHB, and Redwire, Aurélie now leads a company pioneering dedicated satellite launch services. She debunked the myth of cost-per-kilo dominance by SpaceX, advocating instead for an ‘Uber-to-the-stars’ solution that prioritises mission specificity over brute launch mass. Her view: Europe’s competitive edge lies not just in technology, but in agility, customer responsiveness, and institutional backing that can support nimble NewSpace players. With strategic orbits like sun-synchronous within reach, her optimism is grounded in engineering reality.

Dr. Laetitia Cesari completed our stellar panel with her legal and policy insight into outer space governance. A practitioner and researcher with expertise in cybersecurity, in-orbit servicing, and the upcoming EU Space Act, Laetitia emphasised the complexity of coordinating Europe’s multi-layered space apparatus. ESA, the EU, and national agencies must align more efficiently, she said, if Europe is to compete with faster-moving powers. Defense, though historically out of ESA’s remit, is now tightly interwoven with space policy, as satellites become essential for secure communication and surveillance. Laetitia's insights highlighted how law and policy are not just supporting acts, but mission-critical elements.

Whether through political will, commercial innovation, or regulatory harmonisation, the message was clear: Europe has the tools and must now use them strategically. The ISS is nearing retirement, Artemis is Moon-bound, and commercial stations are on the horizon. If Europe doesn't step up, it risks becoming a subcontractor in a future it should be helping to lead.

Contact Lisa here https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-burke-4272276/?originalSubdomain=lu

http://www.linkedin.com/in/françois-leproux-63347263

https://www.deboecksuperieur.com/livre/9782807369757-la-nouvelle-conquete-spatiale

https://www.editions-jpo.com/fr/accueil/228-hermes-une-ambition-en-heritage-9782373011395.html

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aur%C3%A9lie-bressollette-06b7598/details/education/

https://www.degaullefleurance.com/annuaire/laetitia-cesari/