Paris. The European Space Agency (ESA) adopted on Wednesday a budget of 17 billion euros (similar sum in dollars) for the next three years, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire reported.
The figure represents a strong rise of 17 percent but less than the 18.5 billion claimed by its CEO, Josef Aschbacher.
The main items of the amount approved by the 22 ESA member countries will be allocated to programs of space exploration, Earth observation and the manufacture of shuttles.
It is a “great success”, congratulated the French minister, for whom the budget is “above expectations”. France has contributed 3.25 billion euros and the contributions of other countries are unknown for the moment.
“Taking into account the level of inflation, I am very impressed by this result,” said Aschbacher, assuring that the voted budget was “necessary in order not to miss the boat” in the face of fierce US and Chinese competition.
The Old Continent does not want to fall behind China or the United States, which invest colossal sums in their space activities, especially exploration.
The ESA intends to maintain itself as one of the most powerful organizations in the industry in the midst of the revolution of New Spacethe new space race marked by the multiplication of private actors, with the American SpaceX at the helm.
New astronaut promotion
If ESA obtains the required funds, these will go to Earth observation (3 billion euros), space transportation, especially the Ariane 6 shuttle (3.3 billion) or human and robotic exploration of space. (three thousand millions).
And almost all ESA budget items will increase, with the exception of scientific programs (3 billion euros), which will only adjust to the level of inflation.
Negotiations are expected to be difficult, especially with regard to the money allocated to the shuttles, a crucial issue for the EU to have an autonomous space policy.
European sovereignty was weakened by the delay in the Ariane 6 project, seen as a response to SpaceX, and by the war in Ukraine, which deprived the European agency of Russian Soyuz shuttles.
In fact, ESA had to resort to the services of Elon Musk’s company to launch two space missions.
The question of the shuttles often provokes “twigs and wars” between France, Germany and Italy, acknowledges Philippe Baptiste, president of CNES, the French space agency.
These three countries eventually reached an agreement to guarantee the future exploitation of the Ariane 6 rockets and its little sister Vega-C.
The agency also announced its new class of astronauts, which includes three men and two women, including French helicopter test pilot Sophie Adenot, as well as Spaniards Pablo Álvarez and Sara García.
The class, chosen from almost 23,000 applicants, is the continuation of the 2009 class, which generated a true craze for space adventure among young Europeans.
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