Europe May Finally Have Found a Space Entrepreneur Who Is Meeting the Moment (arstechnica.com) 97
French entrepreneur Helene Huby is emerging as one of Europe's most ambitious space leaders, with The Exploration Company raising a record $450 million Series C as it develops the Nyx cargo capsule, a crewed spacecraft, and a reusable heavy-lift rocket. Huby argues Europe risks falling irrelevance without a much larger rocket flying at high cadence. Her company is targeting a 400,000-pound-thrust methane engine test by 2028 and an aggressive 2033 timeline for the launcher. Ars Technica reports: "The fundraise we have done right now is not sufficient to build the massive rocket we have in mind, so there will be another fundraise," she said. "Right now, we're going to be very, very focused on the execution. We must dock with the space station, with the capsule, as fast as possible. We must build this rocket engine and de-risk it as fast as possible. I think once one of these two milestones is achieved, we'll be talking fundraise again."
Critics may look at Huby and her company and say that is a lot of big talk for a company that only has a single, partial success in spaceflight to its credit. And sure, it is. But that's kind of the point. So much of the spaceflight community in Europe has been concerned with either the large aerospace primes seeking government handouts to protect their turf or small launch startups. There has been a stunning lack of big, visionary thinking.
Few people on the continent seem to recognize that multibillion investments by US companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Amazon in space, and their many imitators in China, are radically transforming spaceflight. As the world changes, Huby does not seem willing to stand on the sidelines in Europe and bemoan capitalism in space. Rather, she seems to be saying it is not too late for Europe to seize the day.
"We need to have European politicians who are ambitious," she said. "Entrepreneurs cannot do this alone. We need to be backed by the politicians and by the European Space Agency. But we have to start by achieving the crazy targets that we've set up for ourselves. That will give trust to others to believe in what we're doing."
Critics may look at Huby and her company and say that is a lot of big talk for a company that only has a single, partial success in spaceflight to its credit. And sure, it is. But that's kind of the point. So much of the spaceflight community in Europe has been concerned with either the large aerospace primes seeking government handouts to protect their turf or small launch startups. There has been a stunning lack of big, visionary thinking.
Few people on the continent seem to recognize that multibillion investments by US companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Amazon in space, and their many imitators in China, are radically transforming spaceflight. As the world changes, Huby does not seem willing to stand on the sidelines in Europe and bemoan capitalism in space. Rather, she seems to be saying it is not too late for Europe to seize the day.
"We need to have European politicians who are ambitious," she said. "Entrepreneurs cannot do this alone. We need to be backed by the politicians and by the European Space Agency. But we have to start by achieving the crazy targets that we've set up for ourselves. That will give trust to others to believe in what we're doing."
Re: (Score:1, Troll)
My money says she's more likely to turn out to be Europe's Elizabeth Holmes than their Elon Musk. Another just so story too good to be true.
Hardly Re:"rocket ambition dept"? (Score:3, Interesting)
Holmes faked her demonstrator.
Don't think you can fake rockets. She's already launched one.
"Bemoan capitalism in space" , who's moaning? I am up for capitalism in space, certainly like to see a lot less of it on earth. Produces a lot of billionaire wankers. Let the suck vacuum.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Hardly Re:"rocket ambition dept"? (Score:1)
Kind of sexy, too, for an older woman.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
If you spend your day in front of TV or immersed in media I can see why you would think this is a big thing.
Out there in the world you are hiding from, the earth is literally on fire in places and an orange baboon is the leading the free world into feudalism.
Fuck their achievements and it's plague of useless narcissist celebrity. It's a decadent distraction. Entertainment. Beer and circuses to sedate you.
They produce meaningful art, rarely. And I like it when they do.
I am fun at parties.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Oprah is pretty fucking hot, isn't she?
Re: (Score:2)
I would
Re: (Score:3)
It's easy to criticize. Success is much harder.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
I don't think he is an enemy of innovation and success. I believe he is saying he's helping impoverish his country.
Space X is wow
Tesla meh, China's better at it
Starlink clutters orbit, pisses off astronomers and makes the poison of Social media more accessible and gives a right wing lunatic bond villain way too much power.
Grok, is playing catchup in the AI hype bubble
X is a shithole of the soul
Re: (Score:2)
And you've done none of those things. You say he'
Re: (Score:2)
You say the Chinese do electric cars better, but nobody successfully made an electric car before Tesla
I'm just going to quote that here. I could write out a history of electric cars to scrutinize it, but what's the point really?
Re: Hardly Re:"rocket ambition dept"? (Score:1)
All of the current EV tech, including in China, is based on what Tesla has been doing since Elon took it over. The reason Chinese brands appear to do so well is the subsidies and the regulatory environment. When people claim China is the leader here, they're conveniently ignoring the zero mileage used car, which was so bad that it even ended up as a national scandal in China, which is pretty fucking hard to do there given the way most scandals go unnoticed in that country.
Elon, a long time ago, offered Tesl
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
All of the current EV tech, including in China, is based on what Tesla has been doing since Elon took it over.
So what. Who cares? All tech is based on what someone else done before. Go China, if they can produce it better.
State intervention in capitalism, I'm up for that. I've got Amazon and Uber taking a ton of money out of my country reliant on my tax funded infrastructure, whilst paying as little wages and tax as they can and leaving me with the rubbish. Nuke them with tax and use it to fund British versions copying their model. Fuck em.
I admired Musk for offering up his patents. One of the best things he did t
Re: (Score:1)
So what. Who cares? All tech is based on what someone else done before. Go China, if they can produce it better.
That's the thing: They're not. Try reading more.
State intervention in capitalism, I'm up for that. I've got Amazon and Uber taking a ton of money out of my country reliant on my tax funded infrastructure, whilst paying as little wages and tax as they can and leaving me with the rubbish. Nuke them with tax and use it to fund British versions copying their model. Fuck em.
There's already a more concise word for what you're asking for. Benito Mussolini was a die-hard socialist who hated capitalism, but at some point realized socialism doesn't actually work, yet he still hated capitalism. People today who want this "blend" but can't stomach calling themselves fascist generally refer to it as "the third position" but it's the same thing. This is the most precise way to describe China's economy. You may or may not notice that the p
Re: (Score:2)
Ok cousin, I'll bite, lets get it on.
That's the thing: They're not. Try reading more.
By better, look at production volumes. They leaned into automation, you guys are playing catchup. Meh. They have quality problems. Who hasn't? Ask Boeing.
There's already a more concise word for what you're asking for. Benito Mussolini ...
There you go, right off the deep end. I agree Mussolini got it wrong, piano wire, lamp post justice caught up with him.
We can look at capitalists from history, when it's good, its good and when it's bad it's terrible as is any extreme. Best way is always down the middle and capital is taking the piss atm. Look at AI hyp
Re: (Score:2)
Holmes faked her demonstrator.
Don't think you can fake rockets. She's already launched one.
Has she? Which mission? I looked and can't find anything on the rocket she (or her company) launched, but maybe I'm just missing something.
Re: (Score:3)
For now, The Exploration Company developed a reusable space capsule (not a launcher). Their demo was launched by Falcon-9 mission Transporter-14 (June 2025) https://www.spacevoyaging.com/... [spacevoyaging.com] . It did survive atmospheric reentry, but parachutes failed to deploy.
Note that the parent poster could be confused with German space company Andoya Space, which successfully launched their rocket Spectrum from Norway last week.
Re: (Score:3)
Correction: the German space company was Isar aerospace; they launched from spaceport Andoya Space, located in Norway.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Well, it kinda sounds more like someone running a spaceflight company who doesn't already have billions on hand to build it with, like Musk did. Though I can't find how much she's actually worth. Odd, that.
https://oig.nasa.gov/wp-conten... [nasa.gov]
https://oig.nasa.gov/wp-conten... [nasa.gov]
Whole lot of stuff you wrapped up in "spaceflight" there. There is no commercial demand today for station resupply, orbital logistics, lunar landers, crewed vehicles or launch, or for any kind of super heavy or deep space launches. Not even looking at the government launch infrastructure SpaceX needed in its earliest stages. Government contracts are paying for all of that, including the development, in order to create a commercial market. Mu
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
It's about Europe having the ability to put a lot of mass into space without relying on other countries.
Re: "rocket ambition dept"? (Score:1)
You still do anyways, whether you like it or not. You say French territory, I say: Yet another European colony.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=-V... [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Take over Russia :)
Re: (Score:2)
... space nerd and visionary like Elon ...
So THAT's what shills and trolls are calling grifters and con men these days? Good to know.
Re:"rocket ambition dept"? (Score:5, Insightful)
Say what you want about Musk, SpaceX is certainly delivering the goods when it comes to space flight.
Re: (Score:2)
Say what you want about Musk, SpaceX is certainly delivering the goods when it comes to space flight.
If we could just put Musk aside completely for a moment (sigh. pause. sigh.) and look solely at SpaceX's accomplishments without having to think about them in light of Elon's assertions about the timeline of their future performance then I think many people could appreciate it a bit more. Which then raises the question, what exactly is his influence on SpaceX now besides making it buy a bunch of Teslas? We've heard conflicting reports of his impact which vary from wind beneath their wings to worthless gimbo
Re: (Score:3)
LOL. More like: suck on the teat of "European fund of fuck Elon Musk" dept. (and incidentally, enrich myself in the process dept too).
That's how capitalism works, do you have a problem with that, or how the commercial launch market is bootstrapped by the government? *shocker* it sucks off the government teat here too, and wouldn't exist without directed efforts to establish commercial space. The whole point of capitalism is competition driving efficiency, so again, what is your problem.
space nerd and visionary like Elon
He bought his way into the club just like any other entrepreneur can, and your true space nerd visionary measuring stick is bullshit. Throws his money at d
Re: "rocket ambition dept"? (Score:1)
That's how capitalism works, do you have a problem with that,
That has nothing to do with it. Capitalism is about free markets. A free market is one you can enter or leave at will, and make your own decisions about supply, pricing, and distribution. That is as opposed to socialism where a central governing entity has absolute control over all markets and competing with it is forbidden. Or fascism, where you can only enter or leave any given market at the discretion of the central governing entity, said entity can take over (nationalize) your business any time it wants
Re: (Score:1)
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and its use for the purpose of obtaining profit. Competition is the fig leaf with which capitalists hide their (lack of) shame, and there is not an owner among them who would not gladly see the end of their competitors. Monopolies are great for profits.
Re: (Score:2)
>LOL. More like: suck on the teat of "European fund of fuck Elon Musk" dept. (and incidentally, enrich myself in the process dept too). No, really. She studied administration, went on to do some internet stuff, now she wants us to believe that she's the space nerd and visionary like Elon who will bring Europe to orbit.
Hey, Musk did exactly the same... he did some internet things and then told us that he was a future leader, could do electric cars and space rockets... he had zero knowledge on that too, he
Re: (Score:2)
Yup Musk is just another human.
I think his primary talent is to be able to assimilate tech and talk tech to the masses. He's a story teller, circus ring master of funding, and the whole twitchy on the spectrum thing he has got going just adds to the persona. This is a nerd the money men can talk to. He is very smart, and charming, no doubt, and no doubt he is a high functioning sociopath.
What comes across to me most of all is his single minded ruthlessness, I expect that comes from his sociopathy but South
Re: (Score:2)
Loved the Harry Potter equivalences!!! :D
Re: "rocket ambition dept"? (Score:1)
Elon is the sole founder of SpaceX, also authored several whitepapers that are fundamental to Falcon and the Merlin engines that power it. He hired all of the original staff (including engineers) himself They were neither cofounders nor part of some mythical acquisition that you seem to believe happened.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, the mythical acquisition, i was actually talking about tesla... if you noticed, i also talk about acquiring talents, that is the case of SpaceX. It still don't change what i said!
We all know how those "authored whitepaper" work, he paid for the research, he can get his name on the paper, he could even be the one to have the initial idea, but the technical work WAS not his.
His interest in space started mostly thanks to Robert Zubrin and that open the door to meet Michael D. Griffin. He is the one that
Re: (Score:1)
Well, the mythical acquisition, i was actually talking about tesla...
Though that's one of I think 5 different companies he's associated with, twitter being another one that was an acquisition.
if you noticed, i also talk about acquiring talents, that is the case of SpaceX. It still don't change what i said!
So your argument amounts to "he's not a one-man shop"? I don't believe anybody had any different impression.
I give him credit for establishing the long term goal and putting money in to it instead of just talking (like most other millionaires), but he keeps claiming all credits for everything he touch and way too many people believe on those lies and fail to recognize the true brains behind each project. It is the Wozniak vs Jobs all over again. Not that Jobs wasn't important, but not as important as most people think!
While I agree with the comment about Jobs, I don't think either of them necessarily claimed credit. Some people give them credit, but I don't think they necessarily claimed it. Though Jobs did steal money from Wozniak.
Re: (Score:2)
I think you're conflating Elon Musk with Tom Mueller. Where are these supposed whitepapers that Musk himself authored?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Muslims' birthrates are much higher than normal peoples' and they do oppress women, even when they are born in Europe.
But the woke can't handle the facts, hence your downvotes.
"Finally"? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Pump and dump. Sold all his stock in that venture to support his other ventures.
Re: (Score:3)
He was working on low mass low cost to orbit, but it seems that ride-share is going to be the preferred way to do that.
Re: (Score:1)
Virgin Galactic was one of the major players at the start of the current wave of private launch vehicles...
No one who even glanced at their suborbital designs ever thought that.
Re: (Score:2)
IANARocketScientist, but how many times have you taken paying customers to orbit? Call me crazy, but I think "succeeding" tends to validate their designs.
Re: (Score:1)
...how many times have you taken paying customers to orbit?
You know there's a term for that tactic, right?
Re: (Score:2)
Your premise claimed Virgin's space program was non-viable. I combined it with another contradictory premise. Both cannot be simultaneously true.
"Galactic 01, previously referred to as Unity 23, was a sub-orbital spaceflight of the SpaceShipTwo-class VSS Unity which launched on 29 June 2023. The launch was the first commercial spaceflight for Virgin Galactic." [wikipedia.org].
Unless you want to contest the accuracy of that cite, your claim is necessarily false.
Re: (Score:2)
"400,000-pound-thrust" wtf does that mean?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
how much is that in metric slugs?!
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
ahh!! you are totally correct... but only by one foot!!
Re: (Score:2)
"meeting the moment" wtf does that mean?
It's a less rapey version of "seizing the moment."
Re: (Score:2)
Come on they could have said something milder and presidential like "you've got to grab it by the pussy".
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
So like every one of these tech Bros he's going to...
Impressive that you've reached such vast conclusions about the Exploration Company and its founder's motivations, given that you don't seem to realize that the founder in question is a woman.
Don't inflate her ego (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Unlikely, she is the granddaughter of a resistant who survived a concentration camp.
Re: (Score:2)
Stephen Miller is the grandson of Pogrom survivors, and yet...
And I may have found... (Score:2)
How many things... (Score:2)
here are a) ignoring that Mu$k *bought* SpaceX, b) most of his money's coming from...government contracts, and b) putting her down because she's both EU, and a woman?
Re: (Score:3)
here are a) ignoring that Mu$k *bought* SpaceX, b) most of his money's coming from...government contracts
You really believe this or think that lying is justified because you are on the side of all that is good?
a) Tell me who Musk bought SpaceX from? Otherwise he really kinda sorta looks to be the one and only founder. Was curious so did some digging and found he didn't even take an outside investor until six years after he founded the company.
b) You know SpaceX has gone public and their books were opened for the prospectus and for each quarterly report? SpaceX is getting 20% of their revenue from government
Re: (Score:2)
Regarding b. They get 21% of their revenue from government. However, they get 61% of their revenue from Starlink. Now, I could pay myself 100% of my salary and thereby earn double what I am earning now... except that's preposterous. So, if we don't count SpaceX paying itself, it's still getting more than 50% of its revenue from government contracts. (because if we take out that 61%, then you have 21% from government contracts and 18% from other so, out of that remaining revenue the majority is still governm
Re: (Score:2)
Fight sexism.
SpaceX Was Once a Long Shot, Too (Score:1)
The obvious comparison is early SpaceX. Musk's company failed on its first three Falcon 1 launches before reaching orbit in 2008. Dismissing Huby because her company has a limited flight record would apply a standard that early SpaceX could not have passed either. The useful question is whether each test produces measurable progress and whether the company has enough money to reach the next milestone.
The comparison also puts government backing into perspective. NASA contributed $396 million through COTS [nasa.gov], al
We can't launch today - we are on Holiday (Score:1)
No "Fire at will" in the EU (Score:3)
If the CEO decides she doesn't like someone, she won't be able to "Musk" employees as easily as in the United States.
Musk is known for "On the spot" firings:
Elon Musk has a well-documented history of on-the-spot terminations, a practice often referred to internally by employees as "rage firings." While Musk has publicly denied firing people in a blind rage, multiple investigative reports, biographies, and high-profile public interactions outline definitive examples of him terminating employees instantly.
Reported in a deep-dive investigation by Wired, this is considered the quintessential example of an Elon Musk "rage firing":
During a stressful production ramp-up for the Model 3 at the Tesla Gigafactory, a young, enthusiastic engineer was asked by a red-faced Musk why a conveyor belt had stopped moving. The engineer explained that a safety sensor was triggering and blocking the line. Musk reportedly shouted, “You’re a fucking idiot! Get the fuck out and don’t come back!”. The Result: The bewildered engineer was told by his manager minutes later that he was officially fired on Musk's direct orders. The culture became so tense during this era that managers reportedly told subordinates not to walk past Musk’s desk out of fear that a wrong look or a word out of place would get them fired on the spot.
Re: (Score:2)
Your spittle flecked Musk rage makes you oblivious to the fact you cannot fire anyone on the spot in Europe.
Re: (Score:2)
> fact you cannot fire anyone on the spot in Europe
Yes, you can.
You just need to have a valid (ie. legal) reason to do so.
Firing employees for gross negligence must happen within 48 hours of fact discovery, so on the spot works.
on the spot != at will.
Re: (Score:2)
> fact you cannot fire anyone on the spot in Europe
Yes, you can.
You just need to have a valid (ie. legal) reason to do so.
Firing employees for gross negligence must happen within 48 hours of fact discovery, so on the spot works.
on the spot != at will.
Yep, get caught posting company secrets online, expect to get marched out the door immediately.
Employee protection laws simply mean I can't be fired because the CEO wants to make themselves look scary.
Re: (Score:2)
Your spittle flecked Musk rage makes you oblivious to the fact you cannot fire anyone on the spot in Europe.
And your saliva filled fellatio of Musk makes you oblivious... I mean in general, not just about Europe.
I could get fired today if I did something illegal, dangerous, or blatantly stupid (like sexual harassment or threats). Hell, you can even be fired if you're bringing the company into disrepute, like becoming a far right thug (the freedom of association which is enshrined in the UK and Europe includes the freedom not to be associated with something).
What I can't be fired for is when the CEO is havin
Re: (Score:2)
Not going to defend Musk doing something stupid (that happens ... regularly)
That said.
Like Steve Jobs (disclaimer, I only ever owned one apple device : an ipod shuffle), what is more important about the character is his capacity to assemble a competent team and to give them a worthy direction. And to stay on course.
Re: (Score:2)
Isn't that a good thing?
Re: (Score:2)
If the CEO decides she doesn't like someone, she won't be able to "Musk" employees as easily as in the United States.
You're saying that like it's a bad thing.
A CEO in Europe is expected to act like an adult, so they are expected to deal with disagreements with colleagues and employees as an adult. Often this means compromising and understanding the other side. This has the unfortunate side effect of making the CEO better informed and thus leading to better decisions being made. I know this is hard for many Americans to understand as it seems that emotional maturity isn't a requirement for leadership positions over ther
Theranos Mk II (Score:2)
She sounds much more like Elizabeth Holmes than anyone else.
âoeWe need to have European politicians who are ambitious,â she said. âoeEntrepreneurs cannot do this alone. We need to be backed by the politicians and by the European Space Agency. But we have to start by achieving the crazy targets that weâ(TM)ve set up for ourselves. That will give trust to others to believe in what weâ(TM)re doing.â
eg
"I don't have a plan, but I have ambition, and with piles of your money I can wor
Re: (Score:2)
Chancers like Holmes and Huby just want money and only jump on a tech trend to try and make it. And in Huby's case, make it by simply asking governments to give it to them.
Late to the party (Score:2)
The obvious questions is: what happened to Ariane ? They last launched 3 years ago and won't have another vehicle until the 2030s.
Reusable launch is the goal but they are years behind SpaceX
European launch vehicles are basically a pork barrel project for the French Aerospace industry which in itself in reality another arm of the French Government.
Re: (Score:2)
European launch vehicles exist because when the European asked the US in the sixties to launch their first satellites into orbit, the americans answered something to the effect of : ... we'll get a launch window for you guys, in about year 2048.
Launching YOUR satellites on OUR rockets?
Sure
So France spearheaded European rocket independence. To not be completely dependent upon a fickle bully for something important. You know, stuff like, nuclear defence.
That's an oxymoron (Score:2)
"Ambitious European" that's cute. Ambitious Europeans don't have a great track record.