Following the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Ministerial Council meeting, in Paris, France, Thales Alenia Space welcomes the success of 2022 ESA Ministerial conference. The announcement of 16,9 B€ funding, representing 17% increase with respect to 2019, demonstrates a very positive, sustained Member States vision for the future of European space sector despite the crisis situation.
These important decisions re-affirm Europe’s central role in space worldwide and strengthen Europe’s space sector, with a comprehensive set of programs to strengthen Europe competitiveness, sustainability and autonomy in space, stimulating technological innovation and scientific discovery. The rise of commercial use of space is transforming our industry worldwide. ESA supports the European space industry in all its shapes and sizes, providing access to expertise, technology, funding and customers and creating real value for Europe.
New ambition, new challenges!
Thales Alenia Space fully supports Europe’s decision to continue the journey to Mars by pursuing the Exomars mission and participating in the Mars Sample Return campaign. This international mission to the Red Planet, designed to collect samples from the surface of Mars and bring them back to Earth, is a major new step forward to understand our place in the Universe.
In addition to remaining its commitment to the International Space Station through 2030, thereby properly preparing the post-ISS phase, Europe will also contribute, along with partners from around the world, to future Moon exploration missions by providing vital modules (the “Argonauts”) for transportation to the moon surface of cargo, infrastructure and science equipment as well as by developing IHAB and ESPRIT, key elements of the first international lunar space station- the Cislunar Gateway - to permanently orbit the Moon.
Thales Alenia Space vividly welcomes the decision to implement the first two flights of the European Re-entry system - the Space Rider. This next-generation reusable automated transportation system will provide Europe with the unique capacity for routine access and return from low Earth orbit to implement a variety of missions.
ESA’s world-leading position in Earth observation will be strengthened with the advent of several new missions proposed such as HARMONY and AEOLUS 2. The Copernicus program, which plays a key role in monitoring our environment, will include 2 new missions, Sentinel 1 and S3 TOPO Next Generation.
Thales Alenia Space fully supports the renewed ambition of ESA in the navigation domain with LEO PNT and GENESIS and in the Science domain with exciting missions, such as ENVISION, LISA and ATHENA.
ESA's contribution to the European Commission IRIS2 initiative will be a fundamental step to consolidate sovereignty and European leadership for secure connectivity. And ESA long term initiative ARTES will keep European industry at the leading edge of the fiercely competitive telecom market, nurturing innovation.
Hervé Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space, said: “. We are convinced, as the recent and current crisis also daily demonstrate, that the space sector is crucial to face societal and environmental needs. The European space industry is at the highest worldwide level and it is key to maintain this dynamic in a very fast evolving eco-system. ESA programs and initiatives are ambitious and we welcome the decisions taken at the Ministerial Council. We thank ESA, in particular its Director General Josef Aschbacher for this important achievement and all the Members States and their space agencies for their respective contributions. They will surely contribute to speed up the use of space serving climate change, safety, technology and innovation as well as deep space scientific exploration. At Thales Alenia Space, we are ready to deploy our full range of proven expertise, capabilities and solutions to support ESA in all these new exciting endeavors.