FT: Europe is seriously behind China and the US in the space race

Europe is seriously behind China and the United States in the space race, separated by a yawning chasm, the Financial Times believes.

"European leaders face a yawning chasm separating them from the United States and China in an ever-accelerating space race," the newspaper writes.

According to the newspaper, in the race for space in recent years, Europe has shown itself to be unprepared and lagging behind. Europe's failure to operate independently in space could seriously jeopardize its defense, security and communications, officials warn. Its lag is especially noticeable in critical areas, in particular, in the creation of launch facilities and constellations of satellites.

The head of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher, in an interview with the Financial Times, admits that Europe really needs to catch up in terms of capabilities and independence in some areas. He pointed out that today only Russia, China and the United States can send people into space.

“And some may ask: what’s wrong with Europe? Why doesn’t Europe have this opportunity, and why can’t Europe do this? That’s exactly the question I’m asking,” Aschbacher said.

He noted that Europe has realized its own vulnerability in the space sector, as well as the need to think about what exactly Europe wants to achieve.