Europe’s commercial space ecosystem is about to take a huge leap after Blue Origin announced the establishment of its European office in Luxembourg.
Founded in 2000, Jeff Bezos’ reusable launch vehicle and advanced rocket engine firm will run European supply chain operations out of Luxembourg.
“We’re looking forward to opening our office in Luxembourg and engaging more deeply with suppliers across Europe,” Blue Origin CEO David Limp said, adding: “We chose the country for its strong investment in space, the government’s support for our growth and long-term vision, and its central location.”
The company, which employs an estimated 11,000 people and is valued at $10-15B, did not expand on how many jobs it expects to create in the country. Nor did it include a timeline.
However, the news could turbocharge Luxembourg’s ambition to become a European hub for the commercial space economy.
Early Mover Advantage
The country’s stake in space began in the 1980s with the creation of satellite operator SES. Since 2016 when Luxembourg launched SpaceResources.lu, an ambitious space mining initiative, the spacetech sector has blossomed. Since then the government has invested hundreds of millions to develop the sector. Today more than 100 companies and research institutions work across the full space value chain: satellite hardware and propulsion, ground systems, data analytics, space resources, robotics. Luxembourg has also expanded into space mining policy, after passing the Exploration and Use of Space Resources law in 2017, granting private companies harvesting space resources from asteroids or other celestial bodies the legal right to own and commercialise those resources—while explicitly not claiming sovereignty over celestial bodies themselves.
Collectively the space activities in Luxembourg account for around 1,400 jobs, including highly skilled engineers and technicians. And the sector contributes to around 2% of the country’s GDP, among the highest in Europe.
A Boost For Europe
The US has been a strong leaderwhen it comes to commercial space innovation, thanks government policy, industrial base, investment culture, and long-term strategy. However, Europe is accelerating its efforts to close the gap, especially with support from the EU, ESA, and countries like Luxembourg, Germany, and France.
In 2023, NASA awarded Blue Origin a $3.4 billion fixed-price contract to develop the Blue Moon lunar lander. It includes the design, development, one uncrewed demonstration mission, and a crewed landing on Artemis V in 2029–2030. Luxembourg’s role as the European supply chain nerve centre for Blue Origin could also stimulate high-tech manufacture, R&D and supplier relations across Europe. It could also open doors for collaborative opportunities with EU-based space agencies, startups, and academia.
