Overview

• Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Bremen jointly called for annual contributions of €2 billion to the European Space Agency from 2026 to 2028 and €1 billion for Germany’s own space program.
• Germany currently pays about €1.16 billion to the ESA each year and allocates €300 million to its national space budget, though states have already backed raising the latter to €500 million.
• State leaders argue that stronger space funding is vital for Europe’s security, innovation and technological independence amid intensifying global competition.
• They expressed concern that planned cuts to NASA’s budget and dependence on private firms like SpaceX could jeopardize key international collaborations.
• The upcoming ESA ministerial council in Bremen this November will set the agency’s financial framework for the next three years.