Method & Sources

Source register

Every source used, the exact statement it supports, and whether that statement has been verified against the KPI definition. 24 sources · 33 source–value links.

Verification overview

Verified primary source 16 Verified secondary source 1 Partially verified 11 Conflicting evidence 3 Source verification pending 2 No reliable source identified 0

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Sources (8)

T2 · European Space Agency · Tier 1 · Official primary
A look back at 2025 for Europe's Spaceport
European Space Agency (ESA)
Official ESA account of 2025 launches from Europe's Spaceport (Kourou). Lists individual launches; does not state a Europe-wide total and does not cover launches from other European sites.
Published:
13 Mar 2026
Accessed:
9 Nov 2026
- KPI 01 · European orbital launches per year
  primary
  Lists four Ariane 6 and three Vega-C launches from Europe's Spaceport in 2025 (e.g. "1 December: launch of Kompsat-7 satellite"; "17 December: 14th launch of Galileo satellites").
  Period: 2025 · Scope: Europe's Spaceport (Kourou) only
  Limitations: Total is derived by counting listed launches; ESA does not state a Europe-wide total. Excludes launches from other sites.
  Reliability: Tier 2 (ESA). High reliability for the launches listed.
  Individual launches located in retrieved text. Count of 7 derived.
  ⚑ Partially verified
  Checked 9 Nov 2026
T2 · European Space Agency · Tier 1 · Official primary
ESA Programme Related to EU Secure Connectivity – IRIS²
European Space Agency (ESA)
Official ESA programme description: at least 348 satellites (at least 330 LEO, 18 MEO); launches starting 2029; early services 2030.
Published:
30 Oct 2026
Accessed:
9 Nov 2026
- KPI 07 · IRIS² satellites deployed
  primary
  Launches starting in 2029 (implies no IRIS² satellites deployed as of October 2026).
  Period: As of 30 October 2026 · Scope: EU IRIS²
  Limitations: Inference.
  Reliability: Tier 2 (ESA).
  Deployment count inferred, not reported.
  ⚑ Partially verified
  Checked 9 Nov 2026
T4 · Research institution · Tier 2 · Research institution
ESPI Report 102 – Space Venture 2025 – Full Report
European Space Policy Institute (ESPI)
Established research institution. Based on ESPI's own tracked transaction dataset; coverage and investor classification follow ESPI methodology.
Published:
April 2026 (day not stated).
Accessed:
9 Nov 2026
- KPI 05 · Foreign buyers in acquisitions of European space companies
  primary
  "Of the 46 tracked acquisitions of European space companies over the 2014-2025 period, around a third (35%) involved foreign acquirers, predominantly US-based."
  Period: 2014–2025 · Scope: Acquisitions of European space companies (ESPI tracked sample)
  Limitations: "Foreign" may not equal "non-European"; completion and control-transfer status not confirmed; cumulative only.
  Reliability: Tier 4 (research institution). No independent secondary source identified.
  Value located in retrieved text; definitional alignment with the KPI not confirmed.
  ⚑ Partially verified
  Checked 9 Nov 2026
T4 · Research institution · Tier 2 · Research institution
Space Venture 2024: Global Investment Dynamics
European Space Policy Institute (ESPI)
Established research institution. States that over 80% of capital secured in Europe in 2024 came from public or mixed investor consortia.
Published:
20 Jun 2025
Accessed:
9 Nov 2026
- KPI 04 · Private capital raised by European space companies per year
  primary
  "Attracting €1.5 billion"; "over 80% of the capital secured in Europe came from public or mixed investor consortia."
  Period: 2024 · Scope: European space ventures
  Limitations: Not exclusively private capital.
  Reliability: Tier 4 (research institution).
  Value located in retrieved text; definition mismatch (private vs all capital).
  ⚑ Partially verified
  Checked 9 Nov 2026
T4 · Research institution · Tier 2 · Research institution
Space Venture 2025
European Space Policy Institute (ESPI)
Established research institution. Report landing page summarising 2025 totals.
Published:
5 May 2026
Accessed:
9 Nov 2026
- KPI 04 · Private capital raised by European space companies per year
  primary
  "Europe's space ventures attracted €1.4 billion in 2025"; "Venture capital…grew by 13% to €1.2 billion."
  Period: 2025 · Scope: European space ventures
  Limitations: Not exclusively private capital.
  Reliability: Tier 4 (research institution).
  Value located in retrieved text; definition mismatch (private vs all capital).
  ⚑ Partially verified
  Checked 9 Nov 2026
T4 · Research institution · Tier 2 · Research institution
Space Venture Europe 2023: Investment in the European and Global Space Sector
European Space Policy Institute (ESPI)
Established research institution. ESPI totals cover investment in European space ventures and may include public or mixed investor participation.
Published:
22 May 2024
Accessed:
9 Nov 2026
- KPI 04 · Private capital raised by European space companies per year
  primary
  "The space sector raised €942 million, representing a 7% decrease in investment in 2023."
  Period: 2023 (with comparison to 2022) · Scope: European space ventures
  Limitations: ESPI totals include public and mixed investor participation; not exclusively private capital. 2022 value implied, not stated.
  Reliability: Tier 4 (research institution).
  Value located in retrieved text; definition mismatch (private vs all capital).
  ⚑ Partially verified
  Checked 9 Nov 2026
- KPI 04 · Private capital raised by European space companies per year
  primary
  2022 value of about €1.0bn implied by the reported 7% decrease to €942m in 2023.
  Period: 2022 · Scope: European space ventures
  Limitations: Derived; exact 2022 figure not located.
  Reliability: Tier 4 (research institution).
  Consistent with supplied €1.0bn; exact value not verified.
  ⚑ Partially verified
  Checked 9 Nov 2026
T6 · Industry publication · Tier 3 · Specialist industry / financial
European Space-Tech Funding Reaches €2.9 Billion in H1 2026
Jumpseat Aerospace News
Secondary report attributing data to the Tech.eu Funding Explorer (via Silicon Canals). The underlying Tech.eu dataset and methodology have not been accessed.
Published:
12 Aug 2026
Accessed:
9 Nov 2026
- KPI 04 · Private capital raised by European space companies per year
  contextual
  "European space-tech companies raised €2.9 billion"; "Debt financing accounted for 45.6% of the total."
  Period: H1 2026 · Scope: European space-tech companies (Tech.eu coverage)
  Limitations: Secondary report of Tech.eu data; includes debt; half-year; different coverage from ESPI.
  Reliability: Tier 6 (industry publication). Underlying dataset not accessed.
  Context only. Not combined with ESPI series.
  ⚑ Partially verified
  Checked 9 Nov 2026
T8 · Supplied input (not evidence) · No governance tier (not evidence)
Space Autonomy Monitor: Phase 1 KPI framework and initial figures (no URL: not a public document)
Project owner (internal brief)
Starting inputs only. Not independent evidence. Figures are preserved for traceability and flagged until traced to a documented source.
Published:
Supplied on 9 November 2026. Underlying references were not provided with the brief.
Accessed:
9 Nov 2026
- KPI 03 · European share of capital raised in European space funding rounds
  input
  69% European share 2024–2025; US 90%+; no 2025 growth round led by a European private investor.
  Period: 2024–2025 · Scope: Europe; US
  Limitations: Definition not stated.
  Reliability: Not independent evidence.
  Consistent with ESPI once the lead-investor definition is applied.
  ⚑ Partially verified
  Not checked
- KPI 04 · Private capital raised by European space companies per year
  input
  ESPI figures 2022 €1.0bn, 2023 €0.94bn, 2024 €1.5bn, 2025 €1.4bn; Tech.eu H1 2026 €2.9bn incl. debt.
  Period: 2022–2026 · Scope: Europe
  Limitations: Supplied summary.
  Reliability: Not independent evidence.
  2023–2025 match ESPI; 2022 not separately verified.
  ⚑ Partially verified
  Not checked
- KPI 05 · Foreign buyers in acquisitions of European space companies
  input
  Approximately one-third of acquisitions since 2014 by foreign buyers.
  Period: Since 2014 · Scope: Europe
  Limitations: Supplied summary.
  Reliability: Not independent evidence.
  Consistent with ESPI 35%.
  ⚑ Partially verified
  Not checked