Cosmo-Skymed Second Generation
Italy’s Cosmo-Skymed Second Generation radar-imaging satellites were designed to launch on Vega C but so far have launched on Soyuz and Falcon 9. Credit: Italian Ministry of Defense

BREMEN, Germany — European government officials stressed the need to build strong, autonomous space capabilities, even as the continent continues to rely on foreign companies for some launches.

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Jeff Foust writes about space policy, commercial space, and related topics for SpaceNews. He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree with honors in geophysics and planetary science...