The European Space Agency expects to co-operate with NASA on a lunar base, but has been told that the launchers and spacecraft to get there will be wholly US vehicles. ESA was briefed on the US agency’s Exploration Systems Architecture Study before it was made public by NASA administrator Michael Griffin on 19 September. “We have had a number of informal discussions on this. We would envisage co-operation in a future lunar base and astronauts carried to the Moon by the USA could certainly include European astronauts,” says ESA.
The agency accepts it is not in a position to join a lunar programme as its budget proposals focus on long-term exploration of Mars. But the 2006 budget, to be approved in December, will propose life support and environmental control technology development, which “would allow us to qualify for lunar exploration”, ESA says.
Inter-agency space co-operation has a history of “this for that” arrangements, where equipment is supplied in return for other services, such as crew flights.
Source: Flight International
