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International Partners Reaffirm Commitment to Artemis Amid Budgetary Uncertainty
International space agencies involved in NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration initiative have declared their intent to maintain their contributions despite current budgetary uncertainties facing NASA. While acknowledging potential adjustments and exploring alternative collaborations, partners from Europe, Canada, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates emphasized their dedication to the Artemis program at this week’s Global Conference on Space Exploration (GLEX) 2025 in New Delhi.
Artemis’ Future Under Scrutiny at GLEX 2025
The future of Artemis was a salient topic at the Global Conference on Space Exploration (GLEX) 2025 in New Delhi, hosted by the International Astronautical Federation. Discussions centered on concerns arising from a White House budget proposal issued on May 2. The plan suggested potentially discontinuing the Lunar Gateway program and terminating the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion programs following the Artemis 3 mission.
These proposed modifications could significantly impact international space agencies from Canada, Europe, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates, each actively involved in the Orion and Gateway projects while also planning longer-term contributions to Artemis, such as landers and rovers.
Key International Perspectives
- Germany: Walther Pelzer, director general of the German Space Agency, emphasized the importance of Artemis, given Germany’s significant role in producing the European service module for Orion. “Artemis is one of our most important topics,” said Pelzer. “So, we are very keen to see what is going over there.”
- United Arab Emirates: Salem Al Marri, director general of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, said the UAE would remain flexible amid budget and programmatic uncertainty, adjusting as needed to maintain ongoing collaborations.
- European Space Agency (ESA): Josef Aschbacher, director general, assured that ESA would continue to deliver on its Artemis commitments as a reliable partner, prepared to adapt to any changes that may arise.
- Canadian Space Agency (CSA): Jill Smyth, director of space exploration planning, coordination, and advanced concepts, confirmed ongoing work on Canadarm3, the robotic arm destined for Gateway.
Concerns Over Transition to Commercial Systems
Pelzer voiced concerns regarding the budget proposal’s envisioned transition from SLS and Orion to commercial systems after Artemis 3. He questioned SpaceX’s Starship program’s ability to meet necessary development milestones and expressed apprehension about a potential gap in U.S. space exploration leadership.
“If this plan will be put into practice, a lot of question marks show up,” he said, such as the many development milestones SpaceX’s Starship still must achieve. “I can’t picture that the U.S. will have such a big gap between Artemis 3 and really being capable of going to Mars, and open up space for others to be the leading nation in exploration.”
Optimism Despite Uncertainty
Pelzer expressed optimism, referencing previous instances where Congress restored funding to programs initially targeted for cancellation in NASA’s budget requests. “Until we really have the final budget, we will stay with the way ahead,” he stated, vowing to demonstrate to NASA and other Artemis partners their unwavering commitment to the program’s success.
Rethinking International Space Collaboration
The Absence of NASA representatives in plenary sessions at GLEX 2025 created an opportunity to discuss new frameworks for spacefaring partnerships, perhaps inspired by the ISS program’s existing model.
Potential for New Alliances
Caroline Laurent, director of orbital systems and applications at the French space agency CNES, suggested exploring alternative collaborations, emphasizing enhanced cooperation among ISRO, the UAE, Canada, and JAXA, and considering joint missions.
“We should look more into cooperation with one another, the ones that are here today, actually: ISRO, the Emirates, Canada, JAXA,” she said. “We should plan more missions with one another in the future.”
ESA and ISRO Explore Enhanced Cooperation
On the sidelines of GLEX, ESA and ISRO signed a statement of intent on May 7 to foster closer collaboration, including interoperability of docking systems and astronaut training. ESA is also considering utilizing ISRO’s POEM missions for short-term experiments in low Earth orbit. This agreement could pave the way for European participation in India’s proposed space station, the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, planned for the mid-2030s.
“The complexities and costs of space missions often surpass the capabilities of just one nation,” Aschbacher said in a statement about the agreement. “ESA’s collaboration with international partners such as ISRO exemplifies the power of shared expertise and resources.”