To fly back to the Moon, build a German spaceport, ensure fast
internet between thousands of satellites. There are many ideas
related to space travel - where do Germany and Europe see
opportunities?
Berlin/Seville, Spain - Rocket launches in Germany? "We need
independent access to space," Andreas Hammer of the German Aerospace
Industries Association said recently about the idea of creating a
spaceport on the country's northern coast.
It is yet another indication that Germany - like others - wants to
increasingly focus on projects of its own.
The German government's coordinator for aerospace policy, Thomas
Jarzombek, argues that it is important for a country to have its own
systems in space travel, especially in light of potential crises and
conflicts.
Space travel never was free of politics - and the power politics
surrounding the issue are now back in full swing. "Space forces" are
being created and the NATO military alliance has declared space a
separate "operational domain."
But will this trend come at the expense of multinational projects?
The European Space Agency (ESA) laid the groundwork for its joint
space projects at a meeting in late November in the Spanish city of
Seville, where member states negotiated programmes and their
financing.
ESA Director General Jan Woerner urged them to provide more money for
shared projects.
"We don't want to be dying out because of a meteorite," he said at
the start of the two-day ministerial council in Seville, referring to
the space rock that impacted with Earth and killed the dinosaurs.
Particularly dear to the German's heart is the issue of "monitoring
and safeguarding" - one of four pillars that ESA will use to
structure its projects. The others are: exploring and discovering;
services and applications; and designing and operating.
A system for the timely detection and interception of dangerous
celestial objects is to be developed, while work is also being done
on thwarting other potential threats such as solar flares, which can
significantly affect life on Earth.
Space debris is another risk. Around 3,000 out of a total of 4,500
satellites in orbit are no longer active and pose a "very big
danger," Woerner said.
"I was reading in a newspaper two days ago: 'Ah, we should not think
about space, there are more important things for daily use,'" he
said. But he argued that space travel is, contrary to popular
opinion, vitally important for daily life on Earth.
In the coming year, ESA's new Ariane 6 rocket is also due to lift off
for the first time. Its construction had been decided five years ago.
The 60-metre-high rocket is meant to be faster and cheaper than its
predecessor.
But is it enough? The market has changed significantly since that
decision. The US aerospace company SpaceX, created by technology
billionaire Elon Musk, is in particular pushing prices down.
Big parts of the US competitor's rockets are reusable. While the
Falcon 9's first-stage booster lands back on Earth, the Ariane 6
remains a disposable product.
From Europe's perspective, the competition is not fair.
"Elon Musk gets billions from NASA to bring some cargo goods to the
space station," Woerner said. "The question is whether he really
needs those billions for the service or if it allows him to offer
cheaper commercial launches on the market."
Even EU institutions often prefer to fly with a SpaceX rocket -
including the German armed forces, which recently still had plans to
transport three spy satellites into space with SpaceX.
A model of Europe's next-generation space rocket Ariane 6 is pictured at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Lampoldshausen near Heilbronn. File picture: Ralph Orlowski/Reuters
"We are unsure what the commercial prospects for Ariane 6 look like,"
Jarzombek had said in July.
Pierre Godart, the Germany head of the manufacturer ArianeGroup,
spoke of security aspects: "Space travel is applicable to so many
important areas: weather forecasts, border controls, internet,
network reception, television and much more."
Critical infrastructure is involved, he said.
"Do we really want to make ourselves dependent on others in this
regard?" he asked. "In space travel, this holds true: without
sovereignty on the launch pad, no sovereignty in orbit."
In any case, the rocket and the International Space Station (ISS)
account for a sizeable share of German investments in ESA. Both will
likely be maintained.
In the future, however, the German government wants to see small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups profit more from
investments in space travel. It is an explicit goal to improve their
prospects in the sector, according to Jarzombek.
"Space SMEs are our leading theme," he wrote on Twitter. They have
"missed out a little" amid the big issues such as the ISS and Ariane,
he said.
Germany is also focused on Earth observation satellites, which are
important for climate research.
For Klaus Schilling of the University of Wuerzburg, it is not only
money that is significant in the end: "You can also strive for market
leadership in important niche areas with prioritizations and a good
implementation strategy."
But how much money is needed to deal with these challenges?
In 2019, ESA had a total budget of 5.72 billion euros (6.32 billion
dollars), 73 per cent of which was funded by member states. With 927
million euros, Germany is the second-largest contributor after France
(1.2 billion euros). Institutional partners such as the EU also
contribute.
Over the next three years, an increase of around 10 per cent is being
eyed.
Woerner underlined that ESA is seeking a contribution from member
states of only 8 euros per year and per citizen. A survey conducted
by the agency among 5,000 Europeans found that people would be
willing to on average spend 287 euros per capita and year.
"The message is: people, the normal people are really fond of space,"
Woerner said. "They want to see space, they want us to be active in
space."