Tag: Josef Aschbacher
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ESA Reviews Future of Gateway Contributions Following NASA Program Pause
The European Space Agency (ESA) is evaluating the future of its planned contributions to NASA’s Gateway lunar space station following changes to the Artemis programme that have placed the station’s development on hold. ESA officials said the agency intends to continue work on several Gateway-related projects while examining how the technologies could be adapted for…
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ESA Chief Calls for Independent European Human Spaceflight Capability
European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher has called for Europe to establish its own independent human spaceflight capability, arguing that the continent has become overly dependent on decisions made by foreign partners. In an opinion article published on May 18, Aschbacher said recent changes to the United States’ Artemis programme architecture and Europe’s reduced…
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ESA Revises ISS Barter Plan With NASA After Cancelling Cargo Transport Call
The European Space Agency (ESA) has outlined a revised barter arrangement with the United States that would allow it to meet its International Space Station (ISS) cost-sharing obligations without commissioning a dedicated commercial cargo delivery mission, senior officials said this month. The move follows ESA’s decision in December to cancel a call for proposals for…
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ESA Delays First Themis Hop Test Until Spring as Sweden Site Remains Snowbound
The European Space Agency (ESA) said it is waiting for spring conditions to conduct the first hop test of its Themis reusable rocket booster demonstrator, after winter weather delayed preparations at the launch site in northern Sweden. The Themis vehicle has been stationed at the Esrange Space Centre near Kiruna since mid-2025, but heavy snow…
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ESA and Norway Move Toward Establishing Arctic Space Centre in Tromsø
The European Space Agency (ESA) and Norway have signed a letter of intent to explore the establishment of an ESA Arctic Space Centre in Tromsø, a move aimed at strengthening Europe’s scientific, environmental and strategic capabilities in the High North. The agreement was announced on Nov. 27 during ESA’s ministerial conference. Under the plan, a…
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ESA Proposes €22.25 Billion Budget for 2026–2028, Driven by New Security Programme
The European Space Agency (ESA) has proposed a budget of €22.254 billion for the 2026–2028 period, marking a sharp increase from €16.9 billion allocated in the previous three-year funding cycle, as Europe seeks to strengthen both its commercial space sector and its security-related capabilities. A major contributor to the proposed expansion is ESA’s newly created…
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ESA Weighs New Roles for Orion Service Module and Mars Orbiter Amid U.S. Budget Uncertainty
The European Space Agency (ESA) is assessing options to repurpose two of its major spacecraft programmes after growing uncertainty over continued U.S. support for the NASA missions they were originally built to serve, ESA officials told ministers during the agency’s Ministerial Council in Bremen this week. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher presented proposals that would…
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ESA Ministers to Weigh Historic Move Toward Defense-Focused Space Projects
The European Space Agency (ESA) is poised for a pivotal decision later this month, as its Council of Ministers prepares to vote on a package of projects that could mark the agency’s first formal step toward supporting European defense activities. The two-day meeting, scheduled for Nov. 26–27, will bring together senior officials from ESA’s 23…
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ESA to Seek Funding for Satellite Security System, Signaling Shift Toward Defense
The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to request funding from member states in November for a high-frequency Earth observation satellite system aimed at supporting security and resilience, marking a significant departure from the agency’s traditional civil mission. Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s director general, said in an interview aired by Friends of Europe that the request follows…