WASHINGTON – The new head of the European Space Agency has set out its priorities for the next few years, ranging from improving relations with the European Union to increasing commercialization activities.
The ESA Agenda 2025 document, released by the Agency on 7 April, is an expression of how its new Director-General, Josef Aschbacher, wants to use the Agency to ensure that Europe retains a role as a world leader in space. .
“Europe needs, in my view, a serious debate on where Europe wants to be in the next 10 to 15 years” in space, he said during a call with reporters to discuss the 17-page report. These include the role of space in the economy and strategic plans, and to bring “new energy, new enthusiasm, new inspiration through new space programs.”
The plan has five priorities for the agency’s next four years, the duration of Aschbacher’s first term as head of the agency. These include strengthening ties with the EU, increasing commercialization activities, developing space security and security programs, working out ‘critical program challenges’ with existing programs and transforming ESA’s internal processes.
At the top of the list is the improvement of relations with the European Union, which has become tense in recent years as the EU expands its space ambitions. The EU is working with ESA on the Galileo satellite navigation program and the Copernicus series of Earth observation satellites, but the EU has shown interest in new efforts, such as a broadband satellite constellation, and the creation of a European Union for space programs to monitor likes about his activities.
Aschbacher, who earlier this year expressed a desire to ensure that ESA is the ‘go-to agency’ for EU space activities, said an immediate priority is the finalization of a long-delayed financial framework partnership agreement ( FFPA) between the two organizations that control their collaboration. about space activities.
“We have resumed negotiations with fresh energy,” he said, including a joint letter signed by Aschbacher and Thierry Breton, European Union Internal Market Commissioner, indicating their intention to reach an agreement. to hammer over the FFPA.
He did not want to discuss the specific issues that prevented the two parties from reaching an agreement. “So far we are making positive progress,” he said. “Both sides want to move on very quickly. We hope to be ready with agreement and get it approved by both sides by the middle of this year. ”
Part of the effort to improve the ESA – EU relations described in the agenda is a proposal for a “Space Summit” conference in the spring of 2022, which will bring European countries together for a high-level meeting, perhaps at the head of state level, to discuss Europe’s plans for space. The document states that the meeting could be the forum to announce a new European flagship space program to join Galileo and Copernicus, such as the EU’s proposed broadband configuration or alternatives, such as a new space management initiative. The event would be separate from ESA’s next ministerial meeting, scheduled for late 2022.
Another priority to support commercial space activities in Europe is a response to the growth of US space companies. “The investment by private individuals in space in the US is much greater than in Europe, and I think there is a need to do something,” he said.
The agenda set out three ways to support European commercial space activities, such as encouraging talent to stay in Europe, improving contracting mechanisms and partnerships to meet the demand for European aerospace companies, and speeding up ESA’s work with companies. . “We need to be more responsive, more dynamic to be relevant to these companies,” he said, “and to make sure we add value and not get in the way of these companies.”
Two other elements of the plan, which involve space safety and security and critical program challenges, are existing ESA programs. In terms of space security and safety, Aschbacher called for an analysis of the capabilities and needs of ESA member states to identify ‘complementary activities’ that ESA could follow for the next ministerial meeting.
One critical application challenge involves access to space. “International competition is putting a lot of pressure on our launcher developments,” he said. A short-term priority is the successful launch of the Vega-C and Ariane 6 vehicles in 2022, but he said ESA should also think about future vehicles, with technologies such as reusability. This includes, “he said,” encouraging competition to a greater extent than we have seen in the past. “
Amid the various programs, Aschbacher said that the reform of ESA itself is a fifth priority. A fifth of its employees are eligible to retire by 2025. Although these pensions mean a loss of expertise, he describes them as an opportunity to bring in people with knowledge. other domains, as well as the diversity and gender balance of the agency’s workforce.
According to him, all the changes are intended to keep Europe competitive with other major space powers, including the United States and China. He noted that China was “very active” but did not discuss specific opportunities for cooperation, although ESA officials recently spoke with their counterparts at the China National Space Administration.
A day before releasing ESA Agenda 2025, Aschbacher spoke with Steve Jurczyk, acting administrator of NASA, to confirm their collaboration on a wide range of scientific and human spaceflight efforts. “From my perspective, I want a strengthened relationship with NASA,” he said. “There are many opportunities at hand.” He added that improving relations between the United States and the EU under the Biden administration could also provide new opportunities for space cooperation.