Access to space continues to be acknowledged as a central topic given the increasing number of launches especially for constellations of satellites.

In Europe, in addition to projects for the establishment of new spaceports (for instance, in the UK and in Portugal, Azores), the EU Space Programme Regulation expressly addresses this matter, aiming at ensuring Europe’s autonomy in accessing space. Moreover, a European Alliance on Space Launchers was proposed to develop the next generation of European launch vehicles, which will be formally launched soon in 2022.

In Africa, new opportunities in the launch segment opened as foreign partners begun to capitalise on existing African launch sites, with the East and the Horn of Africa being the leading destinations. Notably, Turkey announced investment in a spaceport in Somalia and a new deal between Kenya and Italy for use of the Broglio Space Centre for launches has been negotiated.

In other geographies, for example, Virgin Orbit is developing a horizontal launch site at Oita airport in western Japan and is expecting to launch there by the end of 2022, and the first non-governmental launches were announced for Alcântara Launch Centre, in Brazil, with the first launch to be expected in the second semester of 2022.