Pressure increased this week for the embattled European Space Agency
to cut back its big, high-technology projects, such as the spaceplane Hermes
and the space station module Columbus. The latest turn of the screw came
from the European Commission, which called for Europe to put more emphasis
on space-based services than on developing technology for its own sake.
The commissioners鈥� decision was based on a policy document drawn up
by a panel of experts headed by Roy Gibson, a former head of both ESA and
Britain鈥檚 space agency. It concludes that users of remote sensing data,
telecommunications satellites and other space technologies do not have enough
influence over how budgets for space are spent (鈥楽ensing satellites: who
calls the tune?鈥�, New 女生小视频, 4 May 1991).
Too much is decided by 鈥榯echnology push鈥�, and too little by 鈥榰ser pull鈥�,
says the paper. At present, space programmes are dominated by research agencies,
such as ESA, which are primarily interested in technological development.
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ESA is, however, struggling to eke out its budget for projects such
as Hermes. The cost of German unification has made Bonn reluctant to increase
its contributions to ESA to the extent that the agency wants (This Week,
19 September).
According to Spot Image, a company which sells images produced by France鈥檚
SPOT satellite, the Commission is the biggest buyer of space-based services
in Europe after the military. Satellite images are used by the Commission
for studies of agricultural land-use and the like.
But the Commission is largely excluded from decisions on Europe鈥檚 space
programmes, which are made by member governments of ESA. Staff in Brussels
say the Commission does not want to become a member of the ESA, but wants
more attention paid to its own views.
The Commission argues that it can make an important contribution to
Europe鈥檚 space effort. For example, by insisting on free trade with the
US under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) it can help European
companies break into the heavily protected American market for satellites
and launchers.
