The Ariane 6 rocket took off from the European Spaceport in French Guiana on November 4, 2025 - Photo: AFP
On November 27, at the European Space Agency (ESA) Council of Ministers meeting in Bremen, northwest Germany, European countries decided to increase the budget for ESA to nearly 22.1 billion euros (25.6 billion USD) in the next three years, about 5 billion euros higher than the amount committed in 2022, and nearly equal to the number proposed by ESA.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said this showed that space was a "fast-growing economic sector. Space is also increasingly important for security and defence, and this is an area where Europe needs to catch up".
Germany, one of the biggest contributors, increased its investment from 3.5 billion euros to more than 5 billion euros. Berlin said the additional funding would boost satellite communications, Earth observation and navigation, areas seen as essential for jobs and security amid global tensions.
ESA now plans to send a German astronaut to the Moon as part of the Artemis mission. ESA Director General Aschbacher said: "I have decided to send the first European astronauts to the Moon as part of the Artemis programme. We are looking for a German astronaut to join the crew."
There are currently two candidates being considered: German ESA astronauts Alexander Gerst (49) and Matthias Maurer (55). However, the mission could be many years away.
The US is looking to return astronauts to the Moon with the Artemis program, in which four US astronauts are expected to orbit the Moon in the first half of 2026. In 2027, Artemis 3 is expected to return astronauts to the Moon after more than half a century.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chau-au-chi-ky-luc-22-ti-euro-cho-cuoc-dua-vu-tru-tuyen-phi-hanh-gia-len-mat-trang-20251128100832644.htm
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