ESA feeling weightless and unwanted amid proposed NASA cuts

Euro space agency insists it's reliable and desirable in face of 'abusive spouse'

NASA's "skinny" budget has rattled its allies. After years of close cooperation, the European Space Agency (ESA) is looking jilted, while others describe the US space scene as adrift in gloom and doubt.

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher reacted cautiously to the proposed 24 percent annual budget cut, which has yet to make its way through US Congress. He noted that ESA "remains open to cooperation with NASA on the programs earmarked for a reduction or termination."

However, Aschbacher also said the agency was assessing the potential impact with its member states.

The budget changes could hit ESA hard. The European Service Module (ESM) is used by the Orion crew capsule to provide power, life support, and propulsion on Artemis missions. According to ESA contractor Airbus, ESM-2 and 3 are awaiting their upcoming missions, while ESM-4 through 6 are under construction in Bremen, Germany.

If the budget overhaul goes through as planned, and the Space Launch System is canceled, there is unlikely to be much call for ESMs past ESM-3 unless alternative uses are found for the components.

The same goes for the lunar Gateway, for which ESA was to contribute three key elements – the Lunar International Habitation Module (Lunar I-HAB), and the two-part European System Providing Refueling, Infrastructure and Telecommunications (ESPRIT) service module, comprising the Lunar Link and Lunar View subsystems.

ESA and NASA's relationship goes back decades, although it has not always run smoothly. Regarding the near loss of the joint SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) probe, NASA's reaction was "forget it!" while ESA's Director of Science, Dr Roger Bonnet, was determined to "bring back" the mission. SOHO remains operational nearly 30 years after launch.

Aschbacher described ESA as not only a reliable partner, "but a strong and desirable partner." On the other hand, a space agency insider told The Register in March that NASA was being treated "as an abusive spouse who could lash out at any moment in unpredictable ways."

Aschbacher pointed out that the spending bill had many hurdles before being passed by the US House and Senate, which would be true in normal times. However, these are not normal times, and "while some questions still remain about the full repercussions, follow-up meetings are already taking place with NASA."

Although there has been no official statement from within NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which will be hit hard if the Mars Sample Return Mission is scrapped, former Voyager scientist Garry Hunt told The Register the mood inside was one of "unhappiness."

"Many of them hold EU passports, and therefore, returning home is an option they're all investigating," he said.

Hunt was part of the brain drain from the UK and EU to the US decades ago. "I think now we're going to see the brain drain reversed." ®