Austrian space activities in the upstream sector take place almost exclusively within the framework of international cooperation. Austrian research institutes and companies actively contribute to the development of space missions aimed at exploring the universe, the solar system and the Earth system. They supply space-based measuring instruments, components for satellites and launch systems, and develop useful applications based on space infrastructures. Key areas include scientific missions, Earth observation, telecommunications, navigation, launch systems and space safety, as well as related technological developments.
The foundation of Austria’s space activities is its cooperation with the European Space Agency ESA .
The priority programmes of the European Union are of great importance for downstream applications.
EU operational space programmes
- Galileo, the European satellite navigation system, and
- Copernicus, the Earth observation programme for monitoring the global environment and improving the detection of environmental crises and atmospheric changes
In addition, Austria participates in the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and in the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).
EU research programme
In Horizon Europe, the space domain is located under Horizon Europe: Cluster 4 “Digitalization, Industry and Space”.