Keynote at the 4th Space Day, Óbuda University, Budapest, 4 November 2026
Budapest, Hungary – Resilience is more than the ability to bounce back, Andrea Vena, ESA’s Chief Sustainability Officer, told the audience at the 4th Space Day at Óbuda University. In her address he argued that space technologies are now indispensable to Europe’s ability to withstand shocks, and that the space sector itself must be made resilient.
Four pillars, one dependency
Vena described resilience as resting on four pillars that only work together: anticipate, adapt, maintain and recover. Each, he said, depends on space technologies. The pressures are familiar: climate change, geopolitical tensions, natural disasters and infrastructure disruption.
He summed up space’s role in three verbs: observe, navigate, connect. Knowing what is happening, where and when, increasingly relies on satellites, which is why he called space a critical infrastructure.
Autonomy and a “system of systems”
Vena named several elements as essential for Europe: autonomous access to space, precise positioning, navigation and timing, secure connectivity, and Earth observation. He pointed to Ariane 6, Galileo and IRIS² as examples.
The stated goal is a new system of systems, ERS EO, standing for the EU’s resilience from space.
A double vulnerability
Vena stressed that space is not only a tool for managing risk but is itself exposed to it. As an example, he cited the Cerberus Ground Station, which proved vulnerable to wildfires. Because the station supports observation, it was in effect “observed itself”, making it doubly critical.
For Vena, the lesson is that everything is connected. Resilience is a property of the network as a whole, he said, and one weak link is enough to compromise it.
An ecosystem, not just a system
Vena urged the audience to see space as an ecosystem rather than a technical system. It spans ESA and other agencies, ground infrastructure, institutions, SMEs and suppliers. He called this a natural bridge and a message to all space actors: to connect the dots, create synergies, learn lessons from one another and establish common operational projects.
“Both, together”
He closed with a pair of statements: space strengthens Europe, and Europe must strengthen space. Both are needed, he said, and they must be pursued together.
Her final point concerned responsibility. “A responsible space sector is a resilient space sector,” Vena said, adding that responsibility is key to ensuring continued operation.
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Photo: Insiderspace.eu – Andrea Vena’s speech at Obuda University