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ESA Secures €22.1 Billion, Expands Mandate to Security

Member states authorized dual‑use programs under the European Resilience from Space effort, with subscriptions open for the next year.

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A logo of the European Space Agency (ESA) is pictured at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, September 30, 2016. REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski
The European Space Agency's ministerial meeting was held in the German city of Bremen
France’s Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space Philippe Baptiste said that Europe "would be the only continent to develop a European industry while at the same time buying technological components from elsewhere.” Credit: ESA

Overview

  • Member nations approved roughly €22.067–€22.1 billion for 2026–2028, about 99% of ESA’s ask and a 32% increase over 2022, with Germany (€5.067b) leading ahead of France (~€3.6–3.7b) and Italy (€3.462b), Spain doubling to €1.854b and the UK down to €1.706b.
  • ESA’s remit now covers security and defence applications through ERS, whose initial Earth observation elements were oversubscribed and whose subscriptions will remain open for a year to accommodate national defence budgeting.
  • Space transportation outperformed requests at about €4.44 billion, with the European Launcher Challenge drawing more than €900 million to back the five preselected startups.
  • Human and Robotic Exploration received €2.66 billion (about 70% of its €3.77 billion request), prompting program reshaping that includes reorienting the Earth Return Orbiter into the ZefERO Mars mission planned for 2032, while Argonaut Mission 1, a LEO cargo return service and the 2028 Rosalind Franklin rover are confirmed.
  • ESA said the three Artemis seats provided by NASA will go to astronauts from Germany, France and Italy, with a German astronaut slated to fly first.