ESA member states have endorsed the most ambitious plan to date for the future of the European space sector. 

ESA’s two-day Council at Ministerial Level, Space 19+, in Seville Spain, brought together ministers with responsibility for space activities in Europe. It was also attended by government representatives from Canada and observers from the EU. 

Ministers backed missions to monitor global carbon dioxide levels, supported a significant increase in space science funding and agreed to fund programmes for new launcher systems, Moon and Mars exploration and next generation satellite communication systems. 

The meeting also decided to extend the life of the international space station to 2030 and support missions protecting Earth from dangerous solar flares and asteroids.

It includes interviews of :

– Jan Wörner, Director General, ESA [English]

– Pedro Duque, Spanish Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities [Spanish]

– Manuel Heitor, ESA Ministerial Conference Co-Chair [Portuguese]

– Frédérique Vidal, ESA Ministerial Conference Co-Chair [French]