President Macron Calls for European Independence in Crewed Spaceflight
6 sources across 5 countries
Who reported this
- Le Monde
- France 24
- Deutsche Welle
- South China Morning Post
- Tempo English
- ANSA
What the colours mean
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- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europe to develop its own crewed spaceflight capabilities within ten years during an international space summit in Paris on Thursday, September 10. Macron stated that Europe's space program remains fragile and that the continent must strengthen its sector to close the gap with the United States and China. He outlined a specific timeline for European milestones: the docking of the Nyx cargo capsule with the International Space Station in two years, the landing of the Argonaut lunar lander on the Moon in five years, and the launch of a crewed capsule from Kourou in ten years.
Macron emphasized the need for a shared governance of space and a regulation system that matches current stakes. He advocated for a European preference in the industry, arguing that public procurement should be directed toward European actors to ensure sovereignty and economic opportunity. He also called for a European alliance for direct to device satellite communication to provide 5G quality connectivity everywhere by 2030.
Josef Aschbacher, the director general of the European Space Agency, supported these calls for independence. He asked whether Europe would be passengers or pilots and noted that the gap with world leaders is widening financially and technologically. Aschbacher suggested that Europe must invest approximately 1 billion euros annually to achieve independence in space exploration. During the summit, Macron also spoke with French astronaut Sophie Adenot regarding her time on the International Space Station.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- These reports highlighted Macron's calls for shared governance, regulation, and the rejection of naivety through European preference.
- Centre
- These reports focused on the strategic goals and the specific timeline for European space milestones.
- Centre-right
- This report noted the absence of major US companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin at the summit.
Sources
- Centre ANSA: Macron: "I would like the first European space trip with astronauts within 10 years"
- Centre Deutsche Welle: Europe needs to compete in spaceflight, says France's Macron
- Centre France 24: International Space Summit: Europe must develop its own "manned flights"
- Centre France 24: Space summit: exchange between French astronaut Sophie Adenot and Macron
- Centre-left Le Monde: "Our space Europe remains fragile and we must accelerate": Emmanuel Macron calls for a "shared governance" of space
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: France’s Macron urges Europe to ‘assert its ambition in crewed space flight’
- Centre-left Tempo English: Europe Needs to Compete in Spaceflight, Says France's Macron
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.