But telecommunications and navigation satellite programmes miss out in budget rise
Technology, launchers and human spaceflight are the main beneficiaries of the €2.9 billion ($3.77 billion) European Space Agency (ESA) budget for 2005, with increases in funding of 39%, 44% and 22%, respectively.
Overall, ESA has been provided with an increase of more than 10% over last year's €2.7 billion budget. The losers in the new budget, approved at the member states meeting in mid-December last year, are telecommunications, navigation and third-party-funded programmes.
The division of funds is in stark contrast to the agency's stated goal, which is to put its relationship with the European Union, and its joint satellite navigation project Galileo, at the top of the agenda. The navigation budget falls by 6% to €314 million at a time when Galileo activity is increasing.
Explaining the budget increases, ESA director general Jean-Jacques Dordain says: "This increase is because we are coming to the end of several programmes. They are the Ariane 5 ECA for the launchers and the Columbus [International Space Station module], for example, for human spaceflight."
The agency does not yet have a budget line for its Aurora long-term space exploration programme. Although it has raised the €40 million originally requested of member states, this is spread among the various funding areas from spaceflight to space science.
The increase in funding for launchers and technology could also be related to the agency's programme to launch Russian Soyuz spacecraft from French Guiana. Under the programme, Soyuz 2-1b launches will be accomplished from the new launch pad near Sinnamary from 2007.
ROB COPPINGER / LONDON
Source: Flight International
