William Atkins
Saturday, 29 November 2008 19:30
Science -
Space
Page 1 of 3
Officials with the European Space Agency (ESA) agreed to spend euro 10 billion (US$12.8 billion) for a series of thirty space missions, including a robotic Martian rover, experiments onboard the International Space Station, and a network of climate satellites.
ESA director general Jean-Jacques Dordain stated that the eighteen members of the ESA agreed to fund these space-based projects.
The European Space Agency (ESA) article “
European Ministers inject new impetus to ensure space’s role as a key asset in facing global challenges” stated on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 that,
“Today’s decisions are a further step towards giving Europe the means to respond to global challenges.”
It added,
“In keeping with the European Space Policy, designed in cooperation with the European Commission, the measures will further strengthen Europe’s role in the development and exploitation of space applications serving public policy objectives and the needs of European citizens and enterprises.”
A project currently funded that has a direct benefit for people on Earth is a global positioning system (GPS) similar to what the United States already has in operation.
Such Earth-orbiting projects were more easily approved for funding than, for instance, the program to send a robot to explore Mars, because of direct benefits to Europeans.
With respect to making money off of missions to Mars, Dordain stated, "
There is no perspective in getting a commercial market on Mars, not yet.” [The Associated Press: “
Ministers pledge billions to space missions”]
However, officials with ESA contend that programs to explore Mars will have indirect benefits for European peoples, and are still worthy of being funded.
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