Josef Aschbacher Is Charting An Independent Course For ESA

Keith’s note: there are some blatant truths in this piece “Are we pilots or are we passengers?“ by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher. The same growing distrust in Europe with regard to the U.S. and NATO is now expanding into NASA/ESA relations. It’s our own fault folks. This is no way to treat our friends. We can fix this. Just sayin’.

• “Recent changes to the Artemis architecture by the United States signal a rapidly shifting landscape in human space exploration. Decisions to pause Gateway and cancel Mars Sample Return disrupt Europe’s lunar exploration plans, underscoring a broader reality: Europe has become too exposed to decisions beyond its control.“
• “Europe must decide whether it prefers to be dependent on others to send its explorers into space or to assume its role as a fully capable space power. As the head of the European Space Agency (ESA), I am convinced that autonomous human spaceflight is not a luxury. It is a necessary anchor for Europe to secure its freedom to unlock the scientific, economic, strategic and geopolitical benefits of space and to inspire a new generation to shape Europe’s future.”