On Thursday 26 October, the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher, called for the EU to reinvest in space exploration.
“Things move very quickly in Space Exploration. Europe cannot afford to miss out - it has the capabilities, the excellence, the talent, it can do it, but it has to make sure it does it well and together”, he outlined at a hearing of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE).
“Why is Europe a capable continent in terms of engineering, but has no capacity to send European astronauts into space in a European capsule?”, asked the Director General. He hoped that in the next decade, Europe would have greater autonomy in exploration, “and not just in European space exploration aboard a European capsule”. According to Mr Aschbacher, the first step could be a cargo transport to the space station, which would then return safely to Earth.
Mr Aschbacher felt that space exploration had a geopolitical dimension, explaining that having a European capsule that would fly with European astronauts while also carrying astronauts of other nationalities “would be a very strong geopolitical signal”.
Mr Aschbacher also pointed out that the space economy was evolving very rapidly. While it currently represents around €600 billion, it should reach €3,000 billion over the next decade, or even faster, according to some projections, he explained, adding that investing in space meant investing in industrial policy, in the regular sectors of the economy, which will nevertheless need space technology. “This is a very important step to take”, said the Director General.
He also explained that space exploration had a security dimension, and is related to skills, with the need to avoid young Europeans going abroad.
The ESA Director General also highlighted the launcher challenge, with Ariane 6 not yet operational and problems with Vega-C. “We need a very clear action plan for the future. We are in the process of changing paradigms, moving from a situation in which we have been for 40 years to a new future phase with new launchers probably built in a completely different way”, he explained.
According to Mr Aschbacher, it is also “absolutely necessary” to guarantee access to space for Ariane 6 and Vega-C for the next few decades.
He also called for an increase in the ESA budget. In 2023, ESA’s budget will be €7.08 billion, while NASA’s will be €24 billion. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)