European leaders discuss region’s space ambitions

On 16 February 2022, European leaders discussed Europe’s space ambitions in two meetings. In an informal Competitiveness Council meeting, EU ministers responsible for space agreed to work on tangible proposals to improve space traffic management, as a way to increase the region’s operational capacities. They also discussed the need to advance European initiatives dedicated to equipping the region with connectivity capabilities through autonomous satellites. During the European Space Agency (ESA) Ministerial Council meeting, ESA member states addressed the importance of defining the direction of European space exploration policy, and agreed on the need to speed up the deployment of space resources to monitor and fight climate change. The meetings also saw the creation of a high-level advisory group to advise on options in terms of space exploration and human spaceflight. The group will report progress to the next ESA Council of Ministers in November 2022.