Europe Mulls €10 billion Programme to Build Independent Astronaut Launch Capability

European governments are set to convene in Rome on 15 December for the ESA Intermediate Ministerial Meeting 2026, where they will weigh a €10 billion, decade-long investment to build a fully autonomous crewed-flight capability. Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s director general, argues that developing indigenous launch and return systems could keep more funding within Europe and reduce reliance on U.S. services, which he estimates would cost taxpayers about €5 billion over ten years.

The agenda includes bolstering existing launchers Ariane 6 and Vega-C, assessing the competitiveness of European rockets against companies like SpaceX, and reviewing commercial initiatives such as Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket and The Exploration Company’s Nyx cargo capsule, funded with a €760 million contract. The summit will also address Europe’s role after the International Space Station’s planned 2030 retirement and its ambitions on the Moon and eventually Mars. While the meeting will not deliver final decisions, it aims to clarify which projects member states are willing to fund and on what timeline.