Europe needs a bolder space policy, appeals French President Macron

Paris: – ‘There is no full power or autonomy without managing space. Without it, you can’t conquer new frontiers or even control your own.’ said French President Emmanuel Macron. He appealed that Europe needs to have a strong space policy.

Moreover, the Space sector is vital given the developments in science, technology, and defence sectors. The French President also warned that if Europe fails to cope in this sector, it could affect the European sovereignty. Last month, the ‘European Space Agency’ chief appealed that Europe should make efforts for a crewed space mission. Pointing to that, Macron demanded that the future direction of the European space program must be decided.

The French President suggested that Europe has two options to pursue- either follow the path of the United States or focus on building an independent space station. Macron also pointed out that Europe has to compete with the leading countries and the big companies in the space sector. He further appealed that making the option of government funding available to the private companies in Europe should also be considered.

Although the European Union announced its space policy in 2007, the focus of the policy has only been on satellite launches, Global Positioning Service and research. However, Europe lags behind the other countries in the crewed space missions and arms race in space. Against this background, the demand made by the French President for an aggressive space policy becomes noteworthy.