Europe wants to launch its own astronauts to space: 10 billion euros at stake
European Space Agency director Josef Aschbacher proposes investing 10 billion euros over ten years to build an independent system for launching astronauts, rather than relying on the United States.
Translated by Qiyas from الأنباء — Original source
When a European astronaut travels to the International Space Station, they ride in a non-European spacecraft. The continent still lacks a fully independent launch and return system for its astronauts, relying primarily on the United States.
Josef Aschbacher, director of the European Space Agency (ESA), has proposed changing this by investing approximately 10 billion euros over ten years to build a European crewed spaceflight system.
Continuing to purchase this service from abroad is estimated to cost taxpayers around 5 billion euros over the same period. These figures are projections, not allocated funds, according to Euronews.
The decision rests with the agency’s member states, which are meeting in Rome on December 15.
The plan follows a busy period for European space activities. In September, the German company IABG Aerospace launched its “Spectrum” rocket into space for the first time, and the “Vega-C” rocket deployed two Earth observation satellites. Additionally, the agency awarded the Exploration Company 760 million euros to develop the “Nix” cargo capsule.
Time is running short, as the International Space Station is scheduled to cease operations by 2030, while Europe sets its sights on the Moon and then Mars.
