During a panel on space access at the Latsat 2023 conference, the challenges faced by launcher manufacturers in increasing production scale and launch cadence to make their respective business models viable were discussed. Participating companies included the Argentinean firms VENG and Tlon Space, the Spanish company PLD Space, and the German company Isar Aerospace.
Marcos Actis, the President of VENG, pointed out that the company's business plan involves using their launchers to orbit satellites for the CONAE Segmented Architecture Program (SARE), which, due to the recurring need for satellite replacements, would enable serial production, additive technologies adoption, and the incorporation of domestically manufactured components and instruments, including GPS receivers and satellite batteries.
However, Actis emphasized that for these developments to thrive, a long-term state policy is necessary. He also highlighted that the space startups created in recent years in Argentina have taken advantage of the capabilities of CONAE and the rest of the national scientific and technological system.