The key facts

  • Creotech plans a new plant by 2029: 40 satellites a year of various models or 100 of one model, versus 10 now
  • CEO Brona: launch vehicles are becoming a means of political pressure on the EU by the Trump administration
  • Last year Europe accounted for 8 of 324 orbital launches versus 193 for the US; Starlink makes up more than 60% of active satellites

Tenfold production growth

Polish satellite manufacturer Creotech Instruments intends to increase its production capacity tenfold by 2029, the company's CEO Grzegorz Brona told Reuters. The company plans to open a new plant in the Masovian Voivodeship capable of producing 40 satellites a year of various models or 100 satellites of a single model. For comparison: the current site in Piaseczno near Warsaw produces 10 satellites a year. The statement came against the backdrop of Europe's efforts to reduce its dependence on American technology.

Context: Starshield restrictions and dependence on the US

Two days before the interview, reports emerged that Elon Musk's SpaceX, on orders from the White House, had restricted Ukraine's access to Starshield — the military version of the Starlink network. Donald Trump then stated: 'It wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon. I don't know whether it was anyone. As far as I understand, everything is as it has always been.' The uncertainty over who made the decision is one problem; for European leaders, the more alarming issue is the very possibility of the Trump administration using American technology as leverage over allies.

Europe's lag in launches

Europe lags far behind the US in rocket launches: it accounted for only 8 of the 324 orbital launches worldwide last year, while the US accounted for 193. According to the European Space Agency, Starlink alone makes up more than 60% of active satellites. Asked whether European industry could create an alternative to Starlink, Brona replied that the continent could produce thousands of satellites but would have no one to launch them. 'Launch vehicles are now becoming a means of political pressure on the European Union in the hands of Donald Trump's administration,' he said.

Creotech's dependence on American rockets

Creotech, which does not build rockets, deliberately excludes American technology from its satellites to avoid falling under US arms export rules, under which Washington can block the sale of satellites even with a small American component. Nevertheless, the company depends on American rockets: SpaceX launched all four satellites built by Creotech for the Polish military MikroGlob programme.

Europe's plans to scale up launches

Europe is trying to expand its launch capabilities in several ways. In September, ESA announced it was considering increasing the number of Ariane 6 and Vega-C rocket launches in the coming years to overcome a possible bottleneck in satellite deployment; ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said a decision needed to be made soon ahead of a sharp rise in demand. Ariane 6 operator Arianespace plans nine to ten launches a year from 2027. EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said the EU wants to increase the number of government satellites from 80 to 630 and conduct 62 launches a year by 2034 from sites in Europe and Canada — to meet expected demand from the Galileo and Copernicus programmes. Aschbacher also proposed a €10 billion, 10-year plan to develop an independent European crewed spacecraft and a launch-recovery system before the ISS is decommissioned at the end of 2030 or early 2031. In March, ESA launched the European Launcher Challenge to support private launch companies and startups; plans include commercial spaceports at SaxaVord in Scotland and Andøya in Norway, while companies Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg aim to expand small and medium-class launch options.

Creotech's products and further expansion

Creotech produces small satellites and microsatellites typically weighing from 10 kg to several tens of kilograms on its own modular Hypersat platform. Its lineup includes the HyperSat Earth observation platform, the Seagull, Eagle 2.0 and Nano 2.0 models, as well as the PIAST and MikroGlob constellations, the latter built for the Polish Armaments Agency and launched this month. The company cooperates with ESA, providing platforms and subsystems for the Comet Interceptor, JUICE, LISA, Plasma Observatory missions and the Twardowski lunar mission to map the Moon's surface. Brona added that in the coming weeks Creotech will begin opening subsidiaries in France and Germany and expects to be building satellites weighing 500 kg by 2032.