Editing European Space Agency (section)

===Ariane launch vehicle development funding===
Historically, the Ariane family rockets have been funded primarily "with money contributed by ESA governments seeking to participate in the program rather than through competitive industry bids. This [has meant that] governments commit multiyear funding to the development with the expectation of a roughly 90% return on investment in the form of industrial workshare." ESA is proposing changes to this scheme by moving to [[competition (economics)|competitive]] bids for the development of the [[Ariane 6]]<!-- and possibly Ariane 5E, not clear in the source -->.<ref name=aw20140310>{{cite news |last=Svitak |first=Amy |title=SpaceX Says Falcon 9 To Compete For EELV This Year |url=http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_03_10_2014_p48-668592.xml |access-date=11 March 2014 |newspaper=Aviation Week |date=10 March 2014 |quote=ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain is aiming to reduce the agency's development and operational costs in a stark departure from past practice: Until now, the Ariane family of rockets has been built largely with money contributed by ESA governments seeking to participate in the program rather than through competitive industry bids. This means governments commit multiyear funding to the development with the expectation of a roughly 90% return on investment in the form of industrial workshare. But in July, when Dordain presents ESA's member states with industry proposals for building the Ariane 6, he will seek government contributions based on the best value for money, not geographic return on investment. 'To have competitive launchers, we need to rethink the launch sector in Europe.' |archive-date=10 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310123118/http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=%2Farticle-xml%2FAW_03_10_2014_p48-668592.xml |url-status=dead}}</ref>