People will soon return to the moon for the first time since 1972. The federal government wants Germans to be on board too - and launches a "ambitious space agenda".
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| Space Race: Germany is aiming for ambitious space mission |
The traffic light government's coalition agreement has four dry sentences, which do not imply that they are striving for space. Space travel and the commercial providers listed under the title "New Space" are recognised as "important future technologies". In addition, the European Space Agency (ESA) and a new space policy are addressed.
However, given the sole specific reference is to the "salvage of space junk," the SPD, Greens, and FDP policy does not appear to be especially ambitious.
However, the Federal Government must also respond to the drastically altered international climate in this sector. "We are also at a tipping point in space, where Europe's security is increasingly jeopardised," says Kai-Uwe Schrogl, ESA's special representative for political affairs, in an interview with German media Tagesspiegel: "The Chinese and Russians have already demonstrated how insecure our satellite communication has been thus far."
Elon Musk's commercial power in space has grown anyway: his business SpaceX takes over human space flights from NASA, and his satellite network Starlink supplies Ukraine with Internet access throughout the war.
Things are currently unfolding in Berlin against this backdrop. "For some, space policy in Germany remains a niche," says Anna Christmann (Greens), the federal government's responsible coordinator, "but it's more than ever about tangible economic and security interests, as well as Europe's sovereignty - both geopolitically and vis-Ã -vis commercial providers like Elon Musk's SpaceX."
That's why she stated on Tagesspiegel that the government will "decide on an ambitious German space mission in the fall".
Six areas of action have been highlighted. This involves climate protection, in addition to fundamental research and the creation of new future technologies, because earth observation may give crucial insights. The green-led Ministry of Economic Affairs prioritises sustainability, and Germany wishes to lobby for international regulations in this area.The two central issues are, of course, Germany's security and competitiveness.
In an expanding market, there is an increasing risk of being left behind. In 2010, the global space business was worth $277 billion; by 2021, it will be worth $469 billion. During the same time period, the number of satellites in earth orbit increased from roughly 3,200 to over 8,000, with the majority of them being tiny satellites launched from so-called micro-launcher sites.
A modest spaceport like this is also being built in the German North Sea, and it is receiving positive support. Although Germany is a pioneer in tiny satellite technology, this is "not yet reflected in a leading position for German enterprises," according to the ministry of Robert Habeck (Greens). As a result, they want to provide "an atmosphere in which new private-sector space players might grow" in the future.
Satellites are also important for security, which is why the Europeans chose to build their own network some time ago. However, there is still disagreement on the design: Should it solely be about secure communication? Should the network also provide rapid Internet access to about 45 million individuals in underserved areas? Do they complement each other?
At the start of Germany's presidency, special representative Schrogl aims to mediate at the ESA ministerial session. "This year, we will develop the concrete structure for the independent European satellite network, which will consist of several hundred or thousands of satellites," said coordinator Christmann.
Germany is paying the lion's share of the 3.5 billion euros that will be available for Europe's overall aspirations in the next years, maybe including ambitious initiatives. "We as Esa expect that the heads of state and government will give the go-ahead for autonomous, human, astronautical space flight, which should also take Europe to the moon in the long future," said Schrogl, who "hopes for a German leadership role" during the Space Summit in November.
At the Ministry, the moon is an even earlier aim. After all, Esa is already collaborating with NASA's American Artemis mission, which is set to return people to Earth's moon in 2025 - after a more than 50-year hiatus.
The German Aerospace Center proudly points out that the European Service Module ESM of the Orion spacecraft "is being manufactured to a significant degree in Germany".
"They don't simply want to be part in these lunar missions with money and technology," Christmann argues. "By investing in a moon transporter, we are already planning for 2023 that Germans will also be going to the moon in the next few years."
On the European side, the Federal Republic of Germany is the lander's second greatest donor, which is why a German astronaut may join the party. According to Christmann, "recognised men and women who personally stand for space exploration" are required.
Source: TAGESSPIEGEL