The European Space Agency (ESA) has confirmed that the first European astronaut to fly to the Moon will be German. Under NASA’s Artemis programme, humans are expected to return to the lunar surface in 2027, with Europe securing three spots for its own astronauts. ESA director general Josef Aschbacher told the agency’s ministerial council in Bremen that the first European lunar astronaut would be selected from Germany.
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Likely candidates include Alexander Gerst and Matthias Maurer, both of whom have previously visited the International Space Station (ISS). The Artemis II mission, scheduled for next spring, will see three Americans and one Canadian orbit the Moon, followed by the first Moon landing since 1972. European astronauts are expected to participate in Artemis IV and V, including missions to the lunar gateway, an orbiting outpost serving as a staging post for surface exploration.
ESA member states agreed this year to a record €22.1bn funding package, marking a 32 per cent increase on previous budgets. Nearly €500m has been allocated to the European Resilience from Space initiative, aimed at strengthening Europe’s space defences and dual-use technology. Aschbacher has warned that Europe is lagging in space defence capabilities, with Russian Luch-Olymp satellites reportedly monitoring European spacecraft, possibly probing for ways to jam or intercept signals.
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Federal research minister Dorothee Bär said investment in European space sovereignty was essential to avoid dependency on private billionaires such as Elon Musk in times of crisis. ESA also announced funding for missions to protect Earth from asteroids and space weather, including the Ramses mission to intercept Apophis in 2029 and the Vigil space weather mission, highlighting a historic expansion of the agency’s mandate into defence and resilience applications.
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