ESA Secures Funding to Include German Astronauts in Lunar Missions
PARIS – November 27, 2025 – The European Space Agency (ESA) has secured a considerable budget increase, paving the way for German astronauts to participate in upcoming “artemis” missions to the moon. The commitment from European Union member states totals 22.1 billion euros for the next three years,a significant jump from the 16.9 billion euro budget allocated between 2023 and 2025.
This funding boost directly enables ESA to contribute more actively to the international Artemis program, a collaborative effort led by NASA to establish a sustained human presence on the moon and use it as a stepping stone for future missions to Mars. Germany is poised to be a key contributor, pledging 5.4 billion euros to the ESA over the next three years. The increased investment ensures germany, alongside France and Italy - ESA’s largest financial backers – will have opportunities to send its own astronauts to lunar orbit via the Gateway space station.
The Gateway is designed to orbit the moon, functioning similarly to the International space Station (ISS) in Earth orbit. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher confirmed the financial commitments, highlighting the importance of European participation in lunar exploration. The Artemis program aims to land the first woman and person of color on the moon, marking a new era of space exploration and scientific discovery.