European Space Agency boss warns EU of rival agency risks

[Judi Lynn]

ESA director general argues for more collaboration as EU ramps up investment in own space agency

Daniel Boffey in Brussels
Wed 6 Jun 2018 12.27 EDT

The EU has clashed with the head of the independent European Space Agency (ESA) over the bloc’s plans to take greater control over the continent’s space programmes, in a move that could cut the UK out of key decisions.

EU officials have rubbished as “unfounded” claims made by Jan Wörner, the ESA’s director general, that a restructuring of arrangements would “take decades and cost billions”.

The European commission had proposed on Wednesday that the EU make a large rise in investment in its space programmes from €12bn over the last seven years to €16bn for 2021 to 2027.

However officials argued that in order to maximise efficient spending of EU taxpayer’s money, and the “autonomy” of the bloc’s space strategy, the European Global Navigation Satellite System Agency in Prague – responsible for the Galileo and other satellite programmes – would be rebadged to become the EU Agency for the Space Programme.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jun/06/european-space-agency-boss-warns-eu-over-star-wars