The European Space Agency's annual budget stands at a mere 6.5 billion euro and should be doubled without delay! Because the US space agency NASA, by contrast, works with a budget of approx. 20 billion euro. In other words, more than three times as much. At the same time, the EU counts 447 million inhabitants* compared to 330 million in the United States.

This financial imbalance goes hand in hand with ever-diminishing prospects when it comes to competing with space superpowers such as the US, Russia, and China. With its growing national focus on space flight strategy, moreover, the US keeps getting more powerful. And in cooperation with financially-strong space players including SpaceX, Blue Origin, and many others, the US will keep outpacing the rest of world in this market segment. China is pursuing ambitious moon plans; indeed, it has already launched the first module of its own space station into the cosmos.

Russia, with its great space flight tradition, has just unveiled its new spaceport "Vostochny" and is exploring new alliances with China. India is preparing to launch its first crewed mission. So what about Europe? The Ariane launch vehicle has become obsolete and the budget is meager. It urgently needs to be doubled to 13 billion euro annually and tripled to at least 20 billion euro by 2030!

*The European Union is not entirely congruent with the purview of ESA.

ESA, the European Space Agency, needs to take new players in the European space sector seriously and provide them more support. The United States sets an example here: While their national agency develops programs, secures funding and oversees implementation, it is private companies that are taking innovative approaches to the development of space propulsion systems. These same companies are also obtaining fresh funds from capital markets. A powerful alliance is thus formed. Yet ESA and its managing directors are still caught up in outdated structures with ponderous “old space” companies. This is something that needs to change!

Enough dithering! Almost 50 years from the last manned moon landing, it's time for mankind to travel back to the moon. But this time we should stay. NASA – but especially the Europeans – must step up their efforts. NASA's planned 2024 lunar mission, however, may be too ambitious and thus further delays loom. The European Space Agency (ESA) has only managed to secure a modest budget of a few million euro to fund the Lunar Orbiter Gateway. The Russian partners feel sidelined in connection with the Lunar Gateway; this is not the way to move forward. That's why we're currently pursuing a strategy to bring together mainly young people, scientists and researchers from around the world as part of the "MOON NOW!" global call to action. December 11, 2022, the day on which an astronaut landed on the moon for the last time, looks like a day with global appeal for this event.