NASA
The European Space Agency
Edited by Andy Ross
The European Space Agency
has agreed to continue development of the Ariane rocket, to stay
involved in the International Space Station, and to cooperate with NASA
on the construction of the Orion capsule to transport people and goods
to and from the ISS.
Germany wanted to upgrade the existing
Ariane 5 but France wanted to work on the new Ariane 6. Both got what
they wanted: Ariane 5 development will continue and the Ariane 6 project
will move forward.
Britain agreed to increase its ESA funding.
Britain will now provide some €300 million a year to ESA, still far below
the German total contribution of €2.7 billion over the last four years.
NASA had earlier backed out of a joint mission with ESA to Mars that has
already cost €400 million. Now ESA will join forces with Russia.
AR This all sounds sensible enough in engineering terms.
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