Europe strengthens its position in space

The Ministerial Council meeting in Bremen in November 2025 marks a historic turning point for European space travel. With a record volume of €22.3 billion in pledged contributions, our 23 member states have sent a clear signal: Europe wants to secure its autonomy in space while expanding its international leadership role. Germany has contributed an impressive 23% of the ESA's total budget, further strengthening its central role under the leadership of Federal Minister Dorothée Bär (BMFTR) and the German Space Agency at DLR.

Such strategic commitment is relevant not only for the space industry, but for the entire scientific landscape. Space travel is no longer an isolated field. It provides essential data for climate research, security, energy, and mobility. Our ESA Strategy 2040, which was reaffirmed in Bremen, defines five key objectives: protecting our planet, exploring the universe, strengthening European resilience, growth and competitiveness, and inspiring future generations.

One focus of the ESA conference in Bremen was securing independent access to space. With the successful launch of Ariane 6 and the return of Vega-C, Europe has stabilized its launch capabilities. These rocket systems are not only technical masterpieces, but also strategic instruments for research and security. They enable the launch of Earth observation satellites, which are indispensable for climate modeling and environmental analysis—an area in which Helmholtz Institutes are leaders.

The second generation of Copernicus satellites and new scientific missions, such as those under FutureEO, will deliver data of an unprecedented quality. This data will form the basis for analysing methane emissions, glacier movements, extreme weather events and civil protection — topics that are directly incorporated into the research agenda of the Helmholtz Centres.

Another milestone is the European Resilience from Space (ERS) programme. This new ESA programme will create a dual-use infrastructure for high-resolution satellite images and secure communications. In times of geopolitical uncertainty, this is a crucial step towards ensuring Europe's ability to act in global scientific cooperation.

Last but not least, Bremen is paving the way for space exploration: by financing the Argonaut lander and committing to the Artemis programme, Europe will maintain a presence on the ISS and the Moon in the coming years. The first European astronauts will fly to the Moon alongside the US, with Germany at the forefront — a symbol of the power of shared visions.

So, what does this mean for research? Space travel drives innovation. Technologies for launch vehicles, sensor technology and AI are finding their way into security, environmental, energy and materials research. The ESA sees itself as a partner to science, and its collaboration with the Helmholtz Association is crucial in addressing the major issues of our time, such as climate change, sustainable resource utilisation, security, and digitalisation.

The message from Bremen is clear: Europe is investing in its space future. We are shaping this future together: science, industry and politics. Let us seize the opportunities arising from this historic ESA Ministerial Council meeting. For Europe. For science. For our planet.

www.esa.int/cm25