The federal government wants to strengthen German space travel and has presented new plans for this. However, they are not without controversy. From the industry’s perspective, there is a lack of money, among other things.
The federal government’s new space strategy is met with criticism in the industry. BDLI Managing Director Alexander Reinhardt describes the result as very vague: “There are many points that have been addressed, but in which timelines should this happen? What does such a project actually look like? And above all, what is the financial deposit?” complained the head of the Federal Association of the German Aerospace Industry (BDLI).
Reinhardt calculated that the federal government would cut the national space budget from 370 to 313 million euros, while other European countries invested in their space projects. “The French, the Italians, are making a lot more money available for space programs, while the federal government says that space travel is important, but doesn’t back this ambition.”
Cross-border collaboration necessary
With regard to the promotion of space start-ups, cross-border cooperation is also required. “This is going in the right direction, but if you want to be successful in the market from Germany, you as a European have to speak one language and have a uniform system.”
In addition, the protection of space activities and a space security strategy are necessary. “This also means being able to effectively protect your own systems,” said Reinhardt. He pointed to Russia’s shooting down of a satellite and said such incidents highlighted rising geopolitical tensions in space. “You don’t just protect yourself because you know that someone else could be aggressive, but as a preventive measure. That’s called defensive democracy.”
Last Wednesday, the Federal Cabinet approved the federal government’s new space strategy. The focus is on strengthening Germany’s position in the space sector. A key focus is to promote private sector space initiatives, known as “New Space”.
Source: Stern
