In historic shift, ESA poised to take on defense role and capabilities

Blame it on Putin the Terrible and President Trump!

"The Nov. 26-27 meeting of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Council of Ministers is shaping up to be a watershed moment, with senior space officials from the 23 member states set to vote on a package of projects explicitly designed to bolster Europe’s defense capabilities.

If the proposal from ESA Director Josef Aschbacher is approved, it would be a historic first — since its founding in 1975 the agency has assiduously disavowed any connection to military space activities, instead insisting on a strictly civil mission.

“In a nutshell, there is a general wake-up call in Europe after the war in Ukraine for the need for more autonomy. Countries are investing more in defense (NATO, etc.) and as part of it in space,” one European space official told Breaking Defense. “[T]here is a shift towards security activities triggered by the new U.S. policies and their impact in Europe.” ..."

In historic shift, ESA poised to take on defense role - Breaking Defense "Since its founding 50 years ago, the European Space Agency has shunned involvement in military space activities."