Macron urges Europe to develop ‘crewed spaceflight’ programme

French President Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to develop its own crewed spaceflight program during an international summit in Paris. He emphasized the need to strengthen Europe's space sector, noting that the current European space program remains fragile. Macron outlined a set of milestones for the next decade, including the launch of a European cargo capsule to the International Space Station within two years, the landing of a European lunar lander on the Moon's surface within five years, and the deployment of a European manned capsule with astronauts from Europe and other nations from Kourou within ten years.

This would mark Europe's first manned space mission, as the continent has historically relied on Russian and U.S. rockets and capsules. The European Space Agency recently secured a substantial budget of €22.1 billion to fund its space programs over the next three years.