The director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), the Austrian Josef Aschbacher, has challenged this Monday the member countries, whose ministers meet at a summit in Seville, to develop in the next five years a cargo ship with the capacity to transport goods to space and bring materials from outside. ESA would be the operator of a service that would have public (75 million euros) and private financing and which it aims to be, together with overcoming the rocket delays Ariane 6 and the development of Vega C, a 35-meter, 210-ton launcher, the spearheads of a strategic program to guarantee European sovereignty in the exploitation and exploration of space. The horizon in the next decade is to convert Europe into the logistics center of the Moon and the proposal has been accepted.
Aschbacher has warned that Europe cannot lose more trains: “The space economy is growing. Not participating in this would, in my opinion, be strategically very difficult to justify. Two decades ago, Europe was not far behind the United States or Japan in patents and intellectual capacity. Today, the biggest technology companies are not in Europe. Some are in the United States and others in China. We have missed the train. “Quantum technology is a similar example where we are now trying to catch up.”
With this premise, Aschbacher has proposed awakening European industry “to offer a space cargo service” with the capacity to carry goods and return to earth. “This requires transport, docking and re-entry capability, something Europe does not have today. The service vehicle could evolve later and aspire and serve other destinations”, she explained, referring to the International Space Station (ISS) and the future bases on the Moon as the main destinations of the new service. .
The plan requires public and private participation and ESA, as operator, would select the companies awarded the mission. According to the Director General of the Agency, the justification is that every 50,000 million euros invested in space exploration are multiplied by three.
The Danish Andreas Mongensen, current commander of the ISS, has intervened by videoconference at the summit from space and has appealed to the responsibility of Europe and the United States in the development of future missions, among which he has mentioned Artemis, the program to return to take astronauts to the Moon.
“One of the things we realize as astronauts as soon as we launch into space is that the Earth is unique. There is absolutely nothing like it near us in this vastness of space that surrounds us and, quickly, you realize that the earth is our only home and we have to protect it. If we damage it, if we make it uninhabitable, there is no other option for us,” he stated to defend space exploration and one of its axes: sustainability.
Mongensen has also defended commercial interest in space and highlighted advances such as 3D printing with metals for the manufacture of components outside of Earth. Likewise, she has defended the program to develop a space freighter. “We need to send material to space and return products to Earth. It is something very important if we want to participate in this new commercial industry that is developing,” she argued.
The astronaut, in line with the director of ESA, has highlighted the advances of China and India and has challenged the agency’s countries: “I am very curious to know how Europe will respond to this.”
Aschbacher has taken advantage of Mongensen’s intervention to focus the lines of the Seville summit: “The first is climate change, sustainability; the second is space transportation; and the third, exploration.” “These issues are interconnected more than ever. Space is crucial for us to address global challenges and fundamental for Europe’s sovereignty,” she insisted.
The acting Spanish Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, has placed Spain in line with guaranteeing European space sovereignty and has defended the need to maintain the financial commitment. “Investing in space is increasing the strategic autonomy of our country and also guaranteeing our state of well-being.” “The space industry is future and strategic; “It contributes to transforming our economy and creating better job opportunities,” she concluded. The Spanish strategic plan (Perte aeroespacial) aims to mobilize 5,000 million euros. The Spanish Space Agency, based in Seville, has a budget that exceeds 700 million euros for 2023. The ministers have supported the general lines expressed by Aschbacher, despite the existing differences between France, Germany and Italy on policy. of releases and financing.
France, home of the manufacturer Ariane Group, wants additional funds to help absorb the cost overruns of a program, estimated at 350 million euros, and the delay of more than four years that it accumulates. Aschbacher has committed to setting a launch date for the Ariane 6.
Germany, for its part, is reluctant to assume the greater financial burden and is committed to developing its own programs. Meanwhile, Italy wants to guarantee the launcher project Vega Cwhose development directly benefits this country.
Agreements
German reluctance has been overcome by the philosophy of the program. The 75 million euros have been designed to “unlock” private financing, which will contribute the majority of the cost through competitive tenders. “We will start working tomorrow,” Aschbacher assured. The first launch is planned for 2028.
The 22 member countries of ESA have also agreed to support the Green Deal for the development of a sustainable industry not only in the launch of satellites but also in their use and all space technology in the decarbonization of the planet. planet.
Another of the agreements has been to “bring the Arian 6 to the launch pad as quickly as possible.” Pre-tests over the past two months have been satisfactory and a full trial is planned for the end of the month. The director of the ESA has assured that they have 15 launches guaranteed.
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