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This week: Irish space firms are positioned to benefit as Europe pushes to build out its own space infrastructure, rather than depending on potential rivals. ESA's resilience programme, up for approval next month, seeks to pull together Europe's scattered efforts on defence and communications. Meanwhile, Trinity physicists land a lead role in one of astronomy's biggest dark energy hunts, Science Week brings space to Cork and Dublin, and ESA opens 2026 internship applications for Irish students.

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October 31, 2025

Here's what happened this week, and what it could mean for Irish space startups:

Europe is betting on satellites to handle everything from cyberattacks to wildfires in the years ahead. At a Brussels conference last week, backed by the ESA and European Space Policy Institute, officials laid out plans to make space technology central to how the continent responds to crises.

The centrepiece is ESA's "European Resilience from Space" programme, which comes up for approval at next month's Ministerial Council meeting.

The programme would combine satellites for climate monitoring, secure government and military communications, better positioning systems, tools to detect signal jamming, and networks to connect sensors across Europe.

What's Being Proposed: The aim is to give European governments, businesses, and citizens fast access to space-based data and services, designed to work for both civilian and defence purposes. The programme is meant to provide the tools Europe needs when a crisis hits — be it cyberattack, wildfire or flood.

Fragmentation: Europe's space efforts are scattered across different countries and agencies, with projects that overlap and duplicate each other's work.

"In this moment of rapid change, there is a critical need to synchronise European initiatives by aligning space for defence competencies, avoiding duplication and pooling resources for scale," said ESA chief Josef Aschbacher.

What this means for Irish Companies: They could win bigger contracts. Ireland already contributes to EU and ESA satellite programmes, particularly in secure communications, component manufacturing, and data analytics.

Companies like Enovus Labs and the engineers that carried out the successful EIRSAT-1 mission have proven capabilities in areas this new programme is targeting.

Decisions will be made next month at the ESA Ministerial Council. EU budget commitments for the programme will follow over the next few years as part of the bloc's 2028-2034 spending plan.

If Irish policymakers and industry leaders engage early, several Irish companies could secure research partnerships, manufacturing contracts, and give Ireland a stronger voice in shaping Europe's space future.

Astrophysicists from Trinity College Dublin announced they are to lead the Time Domain Extragalactic Survey (TiDES) project, which will use the revolutionary 4MOST facility (4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope) — an ESA telescope in the Atacama Desert in Chile that just completed its first observations.

The project, which will also use the Rubin telescope located on another Chilean peak, aims to improve our understanding of mysterious "dark energy" that comprises roughly two-thirds of the Universe.

Trinity's leadership in this €50M+ international collaboration positions Ireland as a serious player in space science, strengthening the country's case for larger ESA programme participation.

Prof Kate Maguire from TCD's School of Physics will lead the project, which includes six scientists from Trinity and dozens more from across the world.

“TiDES will transform our understanding of how stars evolve and die, and contribute to the most precise measurements of the effects of dark energy on the cosmic expansion rate and the fundamental make up of our Universe.” 

“It’s a big challenge to handle the very large data stream from Rubin and 4MOST, and we have had to develop novel techniques to make the most of some of the incredible technologies at hand.

“Ultimately we are pursuing first-of-its-kind research that will add to our understanding of some of the most important and fundamental processes at play in the Universe.”

Ireland's national Science Week runs from November 9-16, 2025, with the theme "Then. Today. Tomorrow.".

Science Week is an opportunity for Irish space companies to provide greater visibility and public engagement to build their brands and attract talent.

Minister James Lawless announced more than €800,000 in funding to support 36 projects across 14 festivals and hundreds of events across the country. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Science Week, coordinated by Research Ireland.

Key space-related highlights include:

ESA's 2026 student internships are open for applications in November. If you're a Master's student in Ireland looking to spend three to six months working at Europe's space agency, here's what you need to know:

As we all know, the commercial space sector is being reshaped by geopolitics as nations scramble for sovereign capabilities in an increasingly fractured world.

Reuters has published a white paper examining how companies can navigate the new landscape of space where “friend-shoring” (countries and companies prioritizing suppliers from allied nations over potential rivals, even if it costs more), dual-use tech, and regional blocs are replacing the globalised space industry of the past decade.

Here’s a taster. Link to full report below.

From satellite internet constellations to missile defence systems, the line between civilian and military space applications is blurring—and governments no longer want to depend on potential rivals for critical infrastructure.

What this means for Irish space companies:

The “friend-shoring” trend is a major opportunity. As Europe pushes for sovereign space capabilities, exemplified by the IRIS² constellation requiring local manufacturing and sourcing, Irish firms are on the right side of the fence. Companies are literally opening offices inside the EU bloc just to qualify for contracts.

Three strategic moves to consider:

1. The dual-use angle – Technologies serving both civilian and military purposes are seen as the safest bet for investors and the most attractive for government contracts. If your tech can monitor crops and troop movements, so much the better.

2. Be a trusted European supplier – With governments wanting to reduce dependence on non-allied countries, being an EU-based company with reliable supply chains matters more than ever. "Made in Europe" offers a competitive advantage.

3. Track defence procurement – Government defence spending remains stable even as civilian space budgets face pressure. The US has streamlined procurement through its "Front Door" portal, and Europe is following suit.

Irish companies should monitor both ESA's programmes and emerging EU defence initiatives like EOGS (Earth Observation Governmental Service).

Reuters says their white paper is aimed at companies seeking to understand strategic opportunities and risks in the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape of space, with a focus on sovereignty, investment, and defence markets.​

Global Space News At A Glance:

Ever wonder what the astronauts/cosmonauts on the ISS are up to right now?

This website tracks the ISS in real time—showing its exact position, what the crew can see out the window, and even which bit of Earth is directly below.

You can also use NASA's Spot the Station app to get alerts when it'll next make a visible pass over Ireland.

Keep Looking Up!

SpaceTech Ireland is the only newsletter focusing exclusively on Ireland's space sector opportunities.

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