ESA

Acronym for European Space Agency, the EU's equivalent of NASA.

See:

• http://www.esa.int/

Thus far, not doing too well (the Ariane rockets keep breaking down), but we can still hope for the future.

Arianespace, the commercial arm of ESA, has over 50% of the world market for launches to geosynchronous orbit (they'd have more if the US government didn't pressure US companies into using US launchers). Mind you, the Russians and Chinese can do it cheaper, and Arianespace is losing ground.

They have had two accidents: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2565387.stm>, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2570053.stm>. To be fair, this is a new version of Ariane 5, the 5-ESCA, with several new bits. The normal Ariane 5 is still perfectly reliable. Honest!

One of the other ways Britain can hold her own against the USA... By teaming up with the rest of europe. Maybe this is the way of the future.