Space has recently repeatedly become the stage of international politics. The US space agency NASA completely overturned its moon and Mars plans under its boss Jared Isaacman – private astronaut and close confidant of Elon Musk – chosen by Donald Trump. Projects such as the flying Lunar Gateway space station or the return transport of Mars samples, in which the European Space Agency ESA was also involved, were stopped or postponed. However, due to the war in Ukraine, ESA ended its cooperation with the Russian space agency Roscosmos several years ago, for example on the ExoMars space probe project and the transport of European astronauts into space.
It’s not just about exploring foreign worlds. Many people are not aware of how much society relies on functioning space systems: synchronized time signals enable ATMs to dispense cash for weekly shopping. Precise navigation decides whether an aircraft lands on or off the runway. Earth observation satellites provide the timely signal to evacuate before the next flood.
- Space travel doesn’t just mean exploring space, it is also irreplaceable in modern everyday life: in navigation, communication and weather reports.
- Today, Europe is dependent on other nations in many areas and would not be able to carry astronauts into space without NASA.
- Current major projects are intended to strengthen Europe’s independence, for example with more of its own launchers and an alternative to the Starlink satellite network.
“Today, Europe is too exposed to decisions that are beyond its control,” commented ESA boss Josef Aschbacher last May. Autonomous astronautical space travel is not a luxury, but “indispensable to secure Europe’s freedom”. He asks: “The decision is obvious: is Europe in the cockpit, or is it just a passenger?” His opinion is clear. “We have everything we need. What is missing is the trust and the political will to act.” But is that true? We analyze in which key areas Europe is particularly dependent on other nations and where it is already standing on its own two feet. We look at current major projects and ask what is missing to make Europe a sovereign player in space.
That was the excerpt from our heise Plus article “Passenger or Pilot: How sovereign is Europe in space travel?”. With a heise Plus subscription you can read the entire article.
