Europe's space goals laid bare
By Helen Briggs
BBC News science reporter
Ministers from 17 European countries meet in Berlin on Monday to
discuss the future of Europe's space programme.
They will decide whether to give the go-ahead to a series of space
missions proposed for the next decade.
A robotic Mars probe, a replacement for the lost Cryosat ice mission
and a satellite network to monitor the Earth are all vying for
funding.
The talks are regarded as pivotal to the future of Europe's space
industry amid shrinking commercial markets.
At this year's annual ministerial meeting, the European Space Agency
(Esa) is asking its 18 member states (17 European countries and
Canada) to contribute 8.8bn euros (£5.9bn) for mandatory and optional
space programmes.
This is made up of 3.1bn euros (£2.1bn) to fund the mandatory science
programme until 2010, and a further 5.7bn euros (£3.8bn) to carry on
with optional programmes and start new ventures.
New space proposals being discussed include:
- The ExoMars mission to put a lander on the Red Planet. Planned for
2011, it would explore for biology on our near neighbour.
- Work to define programmes that would lead to European cooperation
on possible human missions to the Moon and Mars.
- The next phase of a programme to launch a series of satellites to
monitor the health of the Earth, including building Cryosat 2, which
would replace the ice-monitoring probe lost on launch in October.
- Implementing the GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and
Security) programme to improve environmental monitoring and policy
making in Europe.
Other key issues to be discussed at the two-day meeting include:
- Proposals to join forces with Russia on its new spaceship, the
Clipper, which will eventually replace the Soyuz capsule.
- Europe's access to space via the French-led Ariane 5 rocket and the
Italian-led Vega rocket, which is currently in development.
Although the commercial market for space activities has witnessed a
sharp decline in recent years, public expenditure on space is on the
increase.
This makes the decisions taken at the Esa ministerial meeting all the
more important, as much of the money approved at the gathering will
find its way into Europe's aerospace industry.
Member states have been finalising their funding priorities in the
run-up to the Berlin summit.
Observers say it is highly unlikely that all programmes will be fully
funded, necessitating intense rounds of discussions both at the table
and behind the scenes.
Ministers are expected to give the go-ahead to funding that would
secure the future of Cryosat, regarded by scientists as a key tool in
monitoring climate change.
However, the future of GMES, the subject of intense lobbying in the
UK, seems less certain.
Britain, with its stated interest in climate change, should be one of
the lead players in the project; but there are fears in the UK space
sector that the money from its own government to carry that interest
through may not be forthcoming.
British environment minister Elliot Morley told the BBC News website
this week: "We have a negotiating position, obviously, and we'll have
to see what others put on the table.
"But we're committed to GMES and we're hopeful of a positive outcome
for Britain."
Launchers too are set to be the focus of heated discussion,
particularly from countries such as Germany, France and Italy that
invest heavily in rockets like the Ariane 5 and the newly developed
Vega rocket.
Rachel Villain, Director of Space and Communications at the Paris-
based Euroconsult agency, said there could even be calls for a ban on
the use of non-European launcher vehicles, which is likely to be
heavily resisted by some.
"Some people may ask for a ban on foreign vehicles to launch
satellites; that would be a contentious issue," she told the BBC News
website.
Space exploration, particularly dreams for human voyages to the Moon
and the beyond, will also split member states.
"The content of the space exploration programme and the money for the
space envelope programme may also be a subject of debate because of
conflicting interests from the industrial and political viewpoint,"
she added.
"But this is the role of such an event - to have a consensus of what
Europe wants to do in space in the long-term."
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