Radical space plan all set for lift-off

Date: 21/09/00

By Peter Chapman

RESEARCH Commissioner Philippe Busquin will unveil radical plans next week to overhaul the EU's patchwork space policy by linking it to the European Space Agency.

Experts say the move, which could pave the way for Union spy satellites, reflects concern that Europe is failing to capitalise on its wealth of space knowledge because policy-makers and business leaders are not working closely enough with scientists.

Busquin intends to develop priorities for the Union's space sector and then channel them to ESA. The Paris-based agency, whose members include 13 EU countries along with Norway and Switzerland, runs the Ariane rocket programme and other projects from communications satellites to the Giotto probe which visited Halley's comet in 1986.

ESA has cutting-edge expertise to rival the achievements of its higher profile US counterpart, NASA. "What we need in Europe - in light of the information and knowledge society - is to see how we can use the space capability to benefit market or policy needs," said a senior aide to Busquin.

"We have competence but it is not sufficient to develop the technology. We need to know what it will be used for. ESA will remain the principal office to implement programmes, while the Commission's role can be to define users' requirements at the EU level and create a new dynamism."

At the end of September 2000, the European Commissioner for Research, Philippe Busquin, will unveil radical plans to overhaul the EU's patchwork space policy by linking it to the European Space Agency.