A true global Europe: destination space

The Space race is on. In the past eight months alone the US, China and India have launched missions, highlighting the emerging competition and importance of space. Space is the frontier for our biggest challenges, including climate change, digitalisation and global peace.

But what conditions must the EU meet to turn Europe into a real space power?

Over the past two years, there has been a reshaping of European space policy, with two important decisions implemented. First, the adoption of the EU Space Regulation and the largest ever EU budget for space between 2021-2027, and second, the decision by European Space Agency (ESA) member states in November 2019 to fund the most ambitious set of mandatory and optional programmes yet. Copernicus, which has millions of users every day and is considered a gold standard by global partners, is one of those programmes.

This interview with the European Space Agency’s new Director General Josef Aschbacher will be an opportunity to hear first-hand his vision for space policy going forward, as well as the Agency’s ambitions for the future.On the occasion of the launch of Making Space Matter, Friends of Europe’s new initiative in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), this interview with the ESA’s new Director General Josef Aschbacher will be an opportunity to hear first-hand his vision for space policy going forward, as well as the Agency’s ambitions for the future.

#CriticalThinking Live is the latest expansion in our #CriticalThinking family, bringing influential voices from across a range of sectors to challenge, inspire and influence current thinking on the biggest issues facing Europe and the world.

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