ESA chief proposes €10 billion astronaut-access plan

In an interview published October 11, 2026, European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher said he was developing a proposal for Europe to launch its own astronauts and bring them safely back to Earth. He estimated the effort at about €10 billion over 10 years. The Euronews report said the proposal would require political approval and funding from ESA member states.

What the proposal would build

The proposed capability centers on a crew vehicle and a recovery system: the means to carry European astronauts to space and return them safely. Europe has other established space capabilities, including Copernicus and Galileo, while crew transport and recovery are the gap Aschbacher wants to address.

He argued that developing the capability in Europe would strengthen its space industry and give the region more autonomy. The proposal is about European access to space; Aschbacher said it would not mean ending international cooperation. He raised the possibility of offering seats to astronauts from partner countries such as Japan and Australia.

Two estimates, two different scenarios

Aschbacher also put a figure of about €5 billion over 10 years on a different approach: continuing to buy seats on U.S. spacecraft and rent research facilities on commercial space stations. That estimate covers purchased access and facilities; the €10 billion estimate covers developing European launch and recovery capability. The figures therefore describe different outcomes, not two prices for the same system.

The distinction is consequential: buying access supports astronaut missions and research at commercial stations, while the proposed investment would develop Europe’s own crew-transport and recovery capacity. Aschbacher also argued that spending in Europe would strengthen its industry.

The reported case for greater autonomy

Aschbacher’s argument included a concern about future access to U.S. crew transport. He said SpaceX wanted to decommission Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon probably around 2029. That was Aschbacher’s reported statement in the Euronews interview.

The December decision window

On September 23, EL PAÍS reported that member countries were expected to decide in December 2026 whether to accept the proposal. Separately, ESA’s official notice schedules an Intermediate Ministerial Meeting in Rome that month.