The President of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher, will travel to the United Arab Emirates this week to meet with officials of the country. The aim of this trip is to establish new collaborations in the space sector and reduce dependence on the United States in space technology.
Strengthening Europe's Space Capabilities
Josef Aschbacher stated: "Our primary goal is to strengthen our capabilities and become a stronger player in the global ecosystem, but we must also use our power to collaborate with other partners." He also pointed out that Europe is heavily dependent on the United States in the field of space exploration, and European political officials have informed him that this area needs "more independence and strength."
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New Collaborations with the United Arab Emirates
Aschbacher added that the European Space Agency hopes to sign a framework agreement with the United Arab Emirates in the long term, a country that successfully carried out its first mission to Mars in 2020. The United Arab Emirates has also launched several satellites under its space program and sent two of its citizens into space, but it is still unable to organize independent launches and does not have an independent satellite navigation system like the European Union's Galileo or the United States' GPS.
Discussions between the European Space Agency and the United Arab Emirates include the possibility of launching a Mars rover and having an Emirati astronaut participate in the EPIC program, which transports a crew to the International Space Station using a SpaceX spacecraft. In response to the question of whether the United Arab Emirates could invest in projects in collaboration with the European Space Agency, he refrained from discussing ongoing negotiations. He had announced in September that Europe needs €10 billion ($11.2 billion) over the next 10 years to strengthen its independence in the space sector.
Aschbacher noted that this financial gap may be discussed with the United Arab Emirates, but he added that the European Space Agency first needs an agreement from European governments on its level of funding. He said: "Once this decision is made, we will seek international collaborations."
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