Andreas Mogensen, a Danish astronaut who will make his second trip to orbit in August on Elon Musk's upcoming SpaceX mission, warned that Europe runs the risk of slipping behind in the race for space and fail to take part in significant innovations.
Mogensen, the pioneer set to become the inaugural non-US pilot at the helm of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft en route to the International Space Station (ISS), aspires to embark on a future independent European space mission and explore the cosmos.
In an interview with Reuters, Mogensen expressed his deep sense of honor and excitement at the prospect of flying aboard a European spacecraft.
Presently, the European Space Agency relies on international collaborations to conduct crewed European missions in space, as it lacks autonomous capability in this regard.
In recent times, Western Europe has encountered challenges in accessing space for satellite launches. The conflict in Ukraine has disrupted access to the Russian Soyuz launcher, Italy's Vega-C experienced a launch failure, and Europe's forthcoming Ariane 6 has been subjected to delays, resulting in a temporary gap in launch opportunities for the region.
Next month marks the final Ariane 5 launch from Europe.
Secure communications, accurate satellite navigation, and Earth observation, including the monitoring of natural and man-made disasters, are examples of sensitive technology.
In an effort to continue to be a valued partner of the United States, the ESA requested its 22 member nations in November of last year to support a 25% increase in space funding.