New federal government: Bär: Space travel is much more than a flight into space

Despite the short health insurers and a bad economic situation, the federal government has to invest a lot in space in space, according to the new research minister Dorothee Bär. “We all benefit from space travel every day,” said the CSU politician of the German Press Agency in Munich. It is a pioneer for the development and testing of new technologies that also improved the everyday life of people and accelerate innovations in other economic sectors. “In the coalition agreement, we emphasize the strategic role of the aerospace for the business location of Germany.”

Space travel “decisive” in times of international crises

For Bär, the political importance of space travel in view of the international crises and conflicts goes much further: “The space travel can make a decisive contribution to strawening or satellite navigation. We have to become more independent of Russia and China. What does the US government suddenly stop the Ukrainian access to satellite images.”

Bär finds a journey to the moon “incredibly exciting”

“As a minister of research, technology and space travel, the moon is one goal together with our international partners. Less plays a role here whether I want to go into space myself, although I would find it incredibly exciting, but that we are part of the Artemis family,” emphasized Bär. The aim of NASA’s international space project is to let astronauts land on the moon again, including a woman for the first time.

European alternative for moon missions without the USA?

“Without the German contribution, no American would come to the moon,” said Bär and referred to the uncertain perspective of the project: “The White House is currently cutting the budget for NASA and wants to stop the program after Artemis III flight, the American flight to the moon.” However, the new federal government continues to be the German contribution. “However, since we do not know the financial planning of the American congress, the German space agency works closely with the ESA to develop alternative plans for European missions.”

Not only men among German candidates for moon flight

Anyone who will soon be able to start again from Germany will be open, said Bär. “With Alexander Gerst and Matthias Maurer we have two experienced German astronauts in the active ESA astronaut corps and thus excellent candidates for the next flights to space. In addition, Amelie Schoenenwald and Nicola Winter are trained as astronauts and with Rabea Rogge the first German woman was in space.”

In any case, she always campaigns for women to make a career with or without a family – in politics, research, in space travel. “A concern of mine is to increase the proportion of women in scientific leadership positions. It is about equality and increasing the innovative strength of the science system,” said Bär.

High-tech agenda, dealing with data, science time contracts

For the first 100 days, she also had a lot in addition to space travel, said Bär. “My monshot is to prioritize key technologies in a high-tech agenda. With the Research Data Act, we want to improve access to data in private and public research. The Science Time Contract Act, which deals with temporary contracts at universities and research institutions, is also at the top of my list.” The new coalition will also “invest three percent of our economic output in research and development, all over our country”.

Germany also attractive for US scientists

Another focus is, according to Bär, the extraction of international top scientists for Germany, “that’s what the 1,000-headed program stands for,” she emphasized. “With a view to the internationally increasingly under pressure, we want to receive Germany in times of global polarization as an attractive target country and safe port of freedom of science for researchers from all over the world. Researchers from the USA – but also from other countries – are always welcome here.”