Europe Announces Development of Its Own Manned Spacecraft

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that Europe must develop its own independent space program and possess a manned spacecraft system within a decade. This initiative aims to end Europe's reliance on foreign technologies and ensure the region's technological sovereignty. This was reported by Ixbt.com reports .

According to ixbt.com, Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), has made a similar proposal, emphasizing that Europe must drastically increase investments in its space industry. He noted that European nations must choose whether to be a 'passenger' or a 'pilot' in space in the future.

Phased development plan

Currently, Europe lacks the capability to independently launch its astronauts into orbit and relies on foreign transport systems. According to the plan presented by Macron, the situation is expected to change fundamentally over the next decade.

As the first stage of the program, the creation of the European Nyx cargo spacecraft is planned. According to the plan, this vessel should dock with the International Space Station in two years. Although the ISS is expected to begin deorbiting in 2030, this process is considered an important step for testing technologies.

Moon missions

Following this, the launch of the Argonaut lander to the lunar surface is planned within five years. Only then does Europe intend to transition to its own full-scale human spaceflights.

Within ten years, a special spacecraft must be prepared to launch from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, capable of carrying European and foreign astronauts into orbit. This will allow Europe to independently utilize its own space infrastructure.

Financial costs and investments

Implementing the program requires massive investments. Aschbacher emphasized that Europe will need to allocate approximately 1 billion euros per year for a decade, totaling 10 billion euros, for this goal.

At the same time, maintaining dependence on existing foreign services is not cheap either. According to the ESA head's estimates, approximately 5 billion euros will be spent on purchasing astronaut transport services over the next decade. Therefore, creating its own system is viewed not as an excessive expense, but as a strategic investment for the future.