WASHINGTON — The European Space Agency is starting 2025 with a budget slightly less than it had in 2024 as it finalizes a package of programs that will likely require significant budget increases for the next three years.
At a Jan. 9 briefing, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said that ESA’s budget for 2025 will be 7.68 billion euros ($7.91 billion). That is down about 1.4% from the 7.79 billion euros the agency had for 2024.
About two-thirds of ESA’s budget comes from contributions directly from its member states, with the rest coming from the European Commission, Eumetsat and other sources as part of joint programs. Notably, three of the largest member states, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, cut their contributions to ESA significantly in 2025 compared to 2024, changes that could be caused by national policy decisions or the timing of programs they have subscribed to.
Aschbacher did not go into details about individual member states’ contributions but suggested that some countries, in particular the U.K., could increase their funding in the near future. The U.K. provided nearly 450 million euros to ESA in 2024 but currently is budgeted to provide only 320 million euros in 2025.
“We do expect some budgetary decisions to come in the next weeks,” he said, with the total budget “slightly increasing” as a result. “Maybe it’s going a bit closer to eight billion at the end of the year.”
ESA is also working on the package of programs it will offer to member states for the next ministerial conference, scheduled for late November in Bremen, Germany. At the ministerial, member states will decide what programs to fund and at what levels for the next three years.
“It is the major milestone for us” this year, Aschbacher said of the ministerial. He said development of that package of programs is going well but did not discuss specifics about what would be included.
That package will likely include funding to continue several projects and initiatives already underway, including the second phase of a commercial cargo spacecraft program that started last year with initial awards to Thales Alenia Space and The Exploration Company as well as the European Launcher Challenge to promote the development of new European launch systems. ESA is also expected to seek funding to develop and launch Ramses, a mission to visit the asteroid Apophis shortly before its close 2029 flyby of the Earth.
Aschbacher did not disclose at the briefing the budget he is seeking from ESA members to carry out the programs it will offer for the ministerial. At the 2022 ministerial, ESA members provided the agency with a 17% budget increase, plus adjustments for inflation, over three years.
“If you ask me for a number, of course this is a number that needs to be developed and discussed with the member states,” he said when asked at the briefing the size of the increase he would like to see at the 2025 ministerial. “We can make proposals, but funding comes from the ESA member states.”
However, he emphasized at the briefing the need for Europe to step up its investments in space. “Despite the difficulties that we see across Europe in all the countries, I think there is a general recognition that space is so strategic and so important for all the countries of Europe that politicians and ministers, when we come to the ESA ministerial, will recognize this importance and certainly fund the programs accordingly.”
He noted ESA’s budget is only about one-third of NASA’s budget, with the U.S. Space Force and other military agencies spending even more on space. “Our member states of ESA and the European Commission can be very proud but also very happy with the deliverables we provide for the amount of funding we have,” he said. “Of course, this is also a call from my side for an increase of funding in order to make sure that we keep delivering.”
