Germany is planning new laws to help it compete for a share of the growing space market after trade organisations and companies lobbied for a formal regulatory framework . Airbus ' Head of Defence and Space Dirk Hoke said Germany and Europe were well behind China and the US in space developments . Airbus and China could benefit from increased German investment . “In my view, it is hugely important that we participate as equal partners so that we are primed to develop and build technologies for such a gateway,” he said. The rules also cover the financial and legal rights of firms and offer incentives . The company Euroconsult has said Germany had the fourth largest global economy but the seventh largest space budget at $ 1.1bn , compared to $ 40bn for the US .
Germany is planning new laws to help it compete for a share of the growing space market after trade organisations and companies lobbied for a formal regulatory framework . Airbus ' Head of Defence and Space Dirk Hoke said Germany and Europe were well behind China and the US in space developments . Airbus and China could benefit from increased German investment . The rules also cover the financial and legal rights of firms and offer incentives . The company Euroconsult has said Germany had the fourth largest global economy but the seventh largest space budget at $ 1.1bn , compared to $ 40bn for the US .