A low cost, all European, manned launcher.

[Urwumpe]

Very many do when they only cost a few hundred million dollars in development cost, such as for international, privately financed business jets or for countries developing their own small military aircraft.
It's when such aircraft development cost in the billions of dollars range that you need the Boeings and Airbuses to develop them.

Not really, again, you need to look for the details there. Only few countries have the industrial base to build aircraft.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Or aircraft that can compete in the global market.

 

[Urwumpe]

Or aircraft that can compete in the global market.

And that as well, but compete in the global market is even for many European countries a big problem... Thus we have now big companies like EADS and BAE AND also have them work together as Airbus for bigger projects.

It is already a big success, if a country can have small companies building small aircraft with parts from other countries.

 

[RGClark]

Just saw this blog post by Bob Richards head of the Moon Express team competing for the Google Lunar X-Prize:

Bob Richards - NASA versus Commercial Space?
SUBMITTED BY BOB RICHARDS ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 11:39 PM
http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/teams/moon-express/blog/bob-richards-nasa-versus-commercial-space

I love this line it contains: one generation will have seen both the first foot steps on the Moon and on Mars.

I want to be in that generation.

Bob Clark

 

[RGClark]

Head of German space agency also doubtful of the solid fuel version of the Ariane 6:

DLR’s Woerner Remains Unconvinced Just-unveiled Ariane 6 Design Is Right Way To Go.
By Peter B. de Selding | Jul. 12, 2013

Any hope that Europe one day would be launching its own astronauts would evaporate with Ariane 6, Woerner said.
http://www.spacenews.com/article/la...vinced-just-unveiled-ariane-6-design-is-right

Bob Clark