ESA boss tires of being dragged around by NASA mood swings
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher has expressed frustration with NASA's unpredictable policy changes affecting European space initiatives. He advocates for greater autonomy in human spaceflight to ensure Europe can independently pursue its space ambitions. Aschbacher's comments highlight the urgency for Europe to strengthen its capabilities amidst shifting US priorities.
- ▪Josef Aschbacher criticized NASA for its fluctuating priorities and funding that impact ESA's plans.
- ▪He emphasized the need for Europe to develop autonomous human spaceflight capabilities to avoid dependence on external decisions.
- ▪Aschbacher's remarks come as ESA prepares for important political and funding decisions in the coming months.
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| Original publisher | www.theregister.com - Articles |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theregister.com/science/2026/05/20/esa-boss-tires-of-being-dragged-around-by-nasa-mood-swings/5243235 |
| Publication time | Wed, 20 May 2026 13:34:36 +0200 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-20T11:55:29.623Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-20T12:53:14.997Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
(function() { let windowUrl = window.location.href; windowUrl = windowUrl.substring(windowUrl.indexOf('?') + 1); let messageElement = document.querySelector('.shareableMessage'); if (windowUrl && windowUrl.includes('code') && windowUrl.includes('expires')) { messageElement.style.display = 'block'; } })(); Science ESA boss tires of being dragged around by NASA mood swings Are we pilots or are we passengers? Aschbacher asks Richard Speed Richard Speed Published wed 20 May 2026 // 12:34 UTC European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher has taken a swipe at NASA and US policy, while calling for autonomy in human spaceflight via an opinion post titled "Are we pilots or are we passengers?"The May 18 post is emblematic of the hand-wringing within ESA over the last few years as…
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