The moon as an economic area, of that ESA boss Josef Aschbacher is convinced. Before that, the first European lunar mission will be settled.
According to the wishes of the head of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher, the first moon landing by a European astronaut is to take place by 2030. “The goal is to see an astronaut on the lunar surface before the end of the decade,” he said in Paris. The astronaut will leave footprints on European shoes and that is of course symbolic.
“I am confident that we will achieve that,” said Aschbacher. The moon will open up as a new economic area and a new continent.
However, such a moon mission has not yet been regulated. Aschbacher spoke of an important point of negotiation with the US space agency NASA. It is currently planning to send astronauts to the moon again for the first time in almost 50 years by 2025. With the Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972, they were the only country so far to bring twelve astronauts to the earth’s satellite.
ESA is also very much involved in this Artemis mission, said Aschbacher. In the next phase, the participation of Europe through the European Space Agency is so essential that NASA would not be able to fly to the moon without ESA. Of course, other companies are also involved, but it is nice to see that NASA is relying on Europe as a reliable partner. “And that is certainly our common way to the moon.”
(APA/DPA)