The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to resume talks on Europe’s future participation in NASA missions after the US-based space agency made some strategic changes to its moon program.
Earlier this month, NASA announced plans to suspend the Gateway lunar space station effort, with the goal of shifting focus to building a base on the moon’s surface.
In the wake of this ambitious plan, NASA chief Jared Isaacman unveiled an ambitious $20 billion plan to build a moon base. The base will host more robotic landers and a fleet of drones, preparing the base for the use of nuclear power on the lunar surface in the coming years.
The revision proved a setback for Europe and its role in future space exploration. The ESA had an agreement with NASA for three astronaut flights to Gateway. Europe would also supply parts of Gateway.
The Gateway has been postponed, so I will have to consult with the administrator, Jared Isaacman, and the NASA team to negotiate how these seats intended for the Gateway can be used for the surface,” said ESA head Josef Aschbacher. AFP.
The ESA Director General said: “This is a discussion that needs to happen now.”
“How many seats for surface flight, or under what circumstances, or what is the counter value that Europe should bring to these negotiations and this discussion?” he said.
According to Aschbacher: “The goal is to have Europeans walk on the moon.”
While talking about resource self-sufficiency, he said: “But the dream, or the goal, of course, is that Europe ultimately develops its own technologies and capabilities to have more autonomy in human spaceflight.”
In addition to ESA, the Japanese space agency plans to negotiate with NASA.
