Horizon Europe Space: 290 Million euro in 2023

The European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme proposes to allocate 290 million euro for space projects in 2023, with contracts divided into 11 separate categories and 29 topics, part of pillar II, cluster 4 (space).

These projects will be funded and coordinated by four agencies: the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), which is handling 48% of the work, the European Space Agency (ESA), responsible for 33%, the European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA) for 18%, and a small contribution of 1% by the European Commission.

Please note that at the time of publication this is still a proposal by DG-DEFIS, which is awaiting final approval by the European Commission by the end of November. Nonetheless, it is expected that the final version will be very similar to this preliminary proposal. The Horizon Europe Space 2023 funding calls are divided into 11 categories, as follows:

1 – Competitiveness

Budget: €28 million

• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-11: End-to-end Earth observation systems and associated services
• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-12: Future Space Ecosystem and Enabling Technologies
• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-13: CSA Future Space Ecosystem
• Other Actions: CSA Space Partnership

2 – Access to Space

Budget: €53 million

• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-21: Low cost high thrust propulsion for European strategic space launchers -technologies maturation including ground system tests
• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-22: New space transportation solutions and services
• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-23: Modern, flexible and efficient European test, production and launch facilities

3 – Evolution of GNSS

Budget: €50 million

• Other Actions: Mission and Services
• Other Actions: Technology and Infrastructure
• Other Actions: Operations and service provision

4 – GOVSATCOM/Secure Services

Budget: €38 million

• Other Actions: GOVSATCOM/Secure Connectivity infrastructure
• Other Actions: GOVSATCOM/Secure Connectivity upstream R&D

5 – Copernicus Services

Budget: €19 million

• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-31: Copernicus for Atmosphere and Climate change, including CO2 monitoring
• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-32: Copernicus for Emergency Management
• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-33: Copernicus in-situ component
• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-34: Copernicus for Marine Environment Monitoring

6 – EGNSS, Copernicus Applications, PRS uses and GOVSATCOM uses

Budget: €47 million

• HORIZON-EUSPA-2023-SPACE-01-41: Transition toward a green, smart and more secure post-pandemic society
• HORIZON-EUSPA-2023-SPACE-01-42: Closing the gaps in mature, regulated and long lead markets
• HORIZON-EUSPA-2023-SPACE-01-43: Copernicus-based applications for businesses and policy makers
• HORIZON-EUSPA-2023-SPACE-01-44: The Galileo PRS Service for governmental-authorised use cases
• HORIZON-EUSPA-2023-SPACE-01-45: Joint test activities for PRS
• HORIZON-EUSPA-2023-SPACE-01-61 – EU GOVSATCOM for a safer and more secure EU
• HORIZON-EUSPA-2023-SPACE-01-46: Designing space-based downstream applications with international partners

7 – Quantum

Budget: €8 million

• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-62: Quantum Communication Technologies for space systems
• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-63: Quantum Space Gravimetry Phase-A Study

8 – Space Entrepreneurship

Budget: € 1 million

• CASSINI #myEUspace

9 – In-Orbit Demonstration/In-Orbit Validation IOD/IOV

Budget: €15 million

• In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation Service

10 – Technological Non-Dependence

Budget: €20 million

• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-72: Space technologies for European non-dependence and competitiveness

11 – Space Science

Budget: €11 million

• HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-71: Scientific space data exploitation