France Sees Integration Of ESA Into EU

With French presidential elections underway, France's recently unveiled new space strategy is calling for a gradual integration of the European Space Agency (ESA) into the European Union as well as changes to ESA rules that could work to France's benefit. During a visit to Cannes last month, higher education and research minister Laurent Wauquiez touted France's 16% increase in the civil space budget over the past five years and the belief that for every euro invested in space, 20 are generated in the wider economy. He said civil and military space spending combined is €2 billion ($2.6 billion) per year in France, where more than 12,000 people are employed in the space sector ...