欧洲本土发射场在地理与技术层面上相较于赤道发射基地处于劣势。赤道地区因地球自转速度最快，能提供显著的天然加速效应并减少燃料消耗，特别有利于地球同步轨道卫星的发射；同时，欧洲大陆人口稠密，在安全性与避开人口中心的考量下寻找合适场地更具挑战。尽管如此，德国Isar Aerospace已成功在挪威安岛（Andøya）完成欧洲首次商业卫星入轨发射，并规划在加拿大拓展新据点。
面对去年欧洲仅发射8次而SpaceX高达170次的巨大差距，库比柳斯专员即将展开「发射巡访」，实地考察各地发射场与主要火箭制造商，以探索扩充产能与开发新型火箭的途径。除了提升法属圭亚那的重型酬载能力外，欧盟亦高度重视「微型发射」技术的发展，认为这对于卫星快速部署以及应对潜在太空攻击、实现「为太空而防御」的即时防卫能力至关重要。
EU Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stated that the bloc must look beyond its borders to launch sites in Norway, the UK, and Canada to meet an anticipated sixfold surge in rocket launches by 2034. As the EU builds its own satellite constellation to rival Elon Musk's Starlink and expands government networks, launch demand for defense, state, and commercial satellites will soar to 62 launches annually, vastly exceeding the current capacity of Europe's primary spaceport in French Guiana.
European continental launch sites face geographical and technical disadvantages compared to equatorial counterparts, which benefit from Earth's maximum rotational velocity to provide a natural speed boost and cut fuel costs, especially for geostationary orbits. Furthermore, dense populations across Europe complicate safety and debris avoidance, though commercial milestones like Germany's Isar Aerospace delivering satellites to orbit from Norway's Andøya and developing a Canadian site show expanding regional footprint.
With Europe managing only eight rocket launches last year compared to SpaceX's 170, Commissioner Kubilius plans an extensive 'Launch Tour' of spaceports and rocket manufacturers to examine how to scale industrial capacity and innovate new launchers. Beyond increasing heavy-payload sites beyond French Guiana, the EU is heavily prioritizing 'micro-launchers' not just for rapid satellite deployment, but also for immediate defensive response to secure and protect orbital assets against space-based threats.