Europe's space future in focus at the International Space Summit

During the Summit’s exploration session on the evening of 9 September, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher will underline that human activity in low Earth orbit is entering a new phase, the Moon is becoming a destination for sustained operations, and the foundations for future missions to Mars are already being laid. In this rapidly evolving environment, the capabilities developed today will determine who participates, who influences decisions and who helps shape the future architecture of human presence beyond Earth, with implications far beyond exploration itself for Europe’s economy, technological leadership, security and long-term competitiveness.

At a pivotal moment for the future of global space activities, as competition intensifies and new powers emerge, the Director General will use the International Space Summit to present a practical pathway for securing Europe’s future in exploration, while inviting leaders to determine the degree of commitment with which Europe wishes to shape it.

Speaking ahead of the Summit, the Director General said: “The International Space Summit in Paris is an important opportunity to build momentum around Europe’s long-term vision for space exploration in a rapidly changing world. The European Space Agency has a pivotal role to play: giving Europe the capabilities, technologies and confidence to think bigger, move faster and pursue its own ambitions.”

The role of the European Space Agency (ESA) is to provide Europe’s leaders with a clear understanding of what is possible, presenting technically sound, scalable and affordable options, while the strategic direction ultimately belongs to the Member States. This includes pathways that would strengthen Europe’s autonomy of action in space transportation and exploration, while preserving the international partnerships that remain central to its approach to space.

The Summit comes ahead of several important milestones for Europe, including ESA’s Intermediate Ministerial Meeting that will take place in Rome in December 2026, the adoption of the European Union’s next Multiannual Financial Framework, and ESA’s next Council at Ministerial Level in 2028. Together, these processes will help shape Europe’s role, competitiveness and influence in space for decades to come.

The Summit will bring together a significant number of foreign delegations in Paris at the invitation of the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, alongside his Special Envoys, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet and European entrepreneur Hélène Huby.

ESA representatives will participate in multiple sessions, highlighting Europe’s achievements and ambitions across exploration, Earth observation, secure connectivity, resilience, science and industrial competitiveness.