Lost in space

I suppose this is an "ill wind" moment: the delays over agreeing the EU budget have had an interesting side-effect as, according to Flight International, the "colleagues" don't have the money (yes) for their grandiose plans to turn the final frontier into an EU domain.

Flight International reports that approval of the funding for the planned joint European Union/European Space Agency space programme is likely to be delayed by several months because EU states have failed to agree a new budget. The programme was supposed to have been agreed at the third EU/ESA space council on 28 November,

However, the meeting did endorse the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) strategy, reported last month as an EU plan to build a network of spy satellites.

Nevertheless, uncertainty over EU resources for space has led the European Space Agency to prepare a twin-track budget for its December ministerial council. If the money isn't forthcoming, could we be looking at a fire sale?

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