It begins today, in Paris, the International Space Summit, at the Grand Palais, convened by the President of the French Republic. This summit brings together policymakers, military forces, scientists, agencies, and industry leaders from over a hundred nations, showing that the space sector has consolidated itself as a strategic pillar in global agendas of security, competitiveness, and economy. The central theme is space exploration, at a time when the return to the Moon race is underway, with China and the United States in the lead, through the Artemis program, in which Europe participates through ESA.
This summit follows a path that began in 2021, in Portugal, with the ESA Intermediate Ministerial Meeting that approved the Matosinhos Manifesto, followed in 2022 by the Space Summit in Toulouse, organized by Emmanuel Macron during the French presidency of the EU Council, where the decision was made to move forward with the IRIS2 program, and in 2023 the meeting in Seville, under the Spanish presidency, where drastic decisions were made due to the European launcher crisis.
The first crewed mission to the lunar surface is scheduled for 2028, which leaves little time. NASA restructured its plans with a major impact on ESA's strategy, and in the West only SpaceX has the capacity to take humans to space. Last week, the German company Isar Aerospace placed satellites in orbit from Norway, becoming the first fruit of the European Launcher Challenge born in Seville. SpaceX and Blue Origin withdrew from the summit, apparently due to pressure from the White House.
Europe and ESA need to find a common path to ensure their autonomy in space exploration. To cooperate it is necessary to be at the same level, which is why it is urgent that Europe strengthens itself. Without cohesion among European states, there is a risk of fragmentation and failure to advance in this European reinvention.
