The Redemption of Wallonia Through Space

The region is betting on the future with clusters of excellence to revitalize an industrial and economic engine that was lost after the crises in the metallurgical and mining sectors. From launchers to satellites, software to ground services, a constellation of companies covers almost all aspects of the space economy.

BY EMILIO COZZI

Belgium has a new astronaut ready to embark on a mission to the International Space Station: Raphaël Liégeois, 36 years old, a Walloon who emerged from the latest selection by the European Space Agency (ESA). In May, ESA announced that the doors of space will soon open for him; at that moment, Liégeois will become the third Belgian national to travel beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, following Dirk Frimout and Frank De Winne. He will first await the departure of his fellow “course” member, the French Sophie Adenot, and then it will be his turn.

This will be the culmination of Belgium’s space strategy, a country central to European politics, but not among the top in terms of population and GDP. Wallonia, in particular, has become a strategic industrial and logistical hub. This achievement is remarkable, considering the region’s smaller size compared to Lazio and its economy seeking redemption after the crises of the late 20th century.

Liégeois, a biomedical engineer and physicist, will also be the first Walloon to reach Earth’s orbit. He was born in Namur, at the geometric center of a constellation of excellent industrial clusters, including Skywin, which focuses on aeronautical and space technologies. “The sector exports 90% of its revenue,” confirms Michel Stassart, Deputy Director General of Skywin. “We have over 40 high-level operators, representing about 2,000 direct jobs and a turnover of 300 million euros. If Belgium’s contribution is divided by the number of residents, we rank second among the countries that have invested the most.” These numbers have tripled, according to Skywin’s data, certifying the expansion of the sector, which originated in a territory historically tied to the extractive and metallurgical industries and is now seeking new “post-industrial” stimuli.

Commitment to ESA and Economic Revival

Consider ESA’s 2024 budget: 7.8 billion euros. The top three contributing states are Germany, France, and Italy, with Belgium fifth behind the United Kingdom. However, if the contributions were ranked per capita, Belgium would jump to second place with 25 euros per inhabitant, surpassed only by Luxembourg’s 63 euros. For statistical curiosity, Switzerland (21 euros per capita), France (15.4 euros), Italy (14.9), and Germany (13.9) complete the top tier.

Redu is home to the ESEC, the European Space Security and Education Centre, a center of excellence for extra-atmospheric cybersecurity services and the headquarters of the Proba mission control centers. Here, the Space Weather Data Centre collects space weather data, while the ESA Education Training Centre is dedicated to training teachers and university students as part of the ESA Education program. The antennas of ESA’s ground station network are also located here.New Investments and Technologies

New Investments and Technologies

At the end of 2023, the European Investment Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Wallonia region to identify initiatives to finance or support through technical and financial consultations in the space sector. In Charleroi, Aerospacelab is building “the largest satellite factory in Europe.” Thales Alenia Space has a satellite division there, Safran Aero Boosters produces components for the Vulcain 2 and Vinci engines for the new European launcher Ariane 6 in Herstal. The 85 companies, universities, and research centers that make up Skywin cover almost all areas of the sector, from launchers (Sabca and Safran) to satellite manufacturing and components, from advanced optics for telescopes (Amos develops adaptive optics that correct atmospheric turbulence, in collaboration with the University of Liège) to data analysis with satellite and spacecraft flight control software development (Spacebel) and data-driven service applications. Spacebel has participated in important international missions. Its software “guides” the systems of the Columbus module of the International Space Station, the French Pleiades satellites, the Vega launcher, the latest Euclid and EarthCare, and the upcoming planetary defense mission Hera.

Soon, reports the Wallonia Region, the Joint Research Institute for Space (JRI4Space) will be established, composed of the universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, accredited research centers (Cenaero, Sirris, and Multitel), and Skywin cluster companies to create synergy between “industrial needs and scientific offerings.” The Walloon government is investing in projects to develop future space technologies, well aware that, for example, within ESA, for every public euro spent, an equal amount returns in terms of orders for companies, and three to four times as a “leverage effect” of the investment. Discussions include reusable rockets, new constellations of tailor-made microsatellites to also serve non-space consumer sectors (thinking, for example, of car fleets and, in general, the Internet of Things).

From “little Belgium,” and especially from Wallonia, the door to significant space achievements has opened. This is a promise of redemption, an investment in future know-how, after the region fell from the prosperity sparked by the industrial revolution to the crisis of the late 20th century. The subsequent phase, not entirely completed, involves an economy striving to compete with richer regions, such as Flanders and Brussels, by investing in one of the most strategic and enabling sectors of all.