Support the establishment of EU-based launch infrastructure and ground facilities to reinforce autonomous, reliable and cost-effective EU access to space. Projects should enable EU launch service providers to set up launch pad(s) and associated facilities in EU territory and mature solutions to operational readiness (TRL 8). Participation is limited to legal entities established in EU Member States, Norway and Iceland and must safeguard Union strategic assets, interests and security.
The EU needs to improve the resilience of its access to space for the implementation of EU space programme. New entrants will contribute to this endeavour. Projects are expected to support EU launch service providers to set up launch pad(s) in the EU territory enabling to perform EU launch services. Projects are expected to contribute to the development of necessary ground facilities to conduct launch services from the EU territory; e.g. launch integration, storage and operation facilities, launch pad and complex, control command facility, payload processing and integration facilities, tracking means, safety means, propellant storage… EU launch service provider(s) are expected to be part of the project consortium and be the ultimate users of the resulting facilities making use of EU launch vehicles for providing EU launch services. Proposals under this topic should explore synergies and be complementary to past actions related to ground segment for launch services, in particular the topics: HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-23 and HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-11. All the activities should be complementary with national and ESA on-going or future activities, in particular those decided at the ESA council Ministerial Meeting in November 2025. In this topic, the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort.
1. EU autonomous access to space and strategic autonomy for the EU space programme; 2. Development and deployment of launch infrastructure and ground segment (launch pads, integration, payload processing, tracking, propellant storage, safety systems); 3. Support to EU launch service providers, market diversification and commercial access to space services; 4. Operational readiness and technology maturation to TRL 8 for spaceport and launch-support systems; 5. Regulatory, security and interoperability aspects including complementarity with national and ESA activities and previous EU actions;
