French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Europe to develop its own crewed spaceflight capability within the next decade, urging the continent to strengthen its independent position in an increasingly competitive global space sector. Macron made the appeal on Thursday during an international space summit in Paris, where he outlined a series of milestones he wants Europe to achieve over the coming 10 years. Macron said Europe needed to show greater ambition in human spaceflight and reduce its dependence on other space powers. “We want Europe to assert its ambition in crewed spaceflight,” he said, while acknowledging weaknesses in the continent’s existing space programme. “Our European space programme remains fragile and we must step up our efforts.” His remarks came as European governments and space industry representatives discussed the future direction of the region’s space activities.

The French president’s call is part of a wider effort to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in space. European countries have developed significant expertise in satellite technology, launch systems and scientific missions, but the continent has not independently conducted a crewed space mission. European astronauts have instead travelled to space using spacecraft and launch systems operated by other countries, particularly the United States and Russia. The issue of greater independence was also highlighted by European Space Agency (ESA) chief Josef Aschbacher. Speaking at a closed-door meeting of ministers and other dignitaries on Wednesday, Aschbacher urged European governments to provide greater resources for building an independent space sector. “Will we be passengers or pilots?” he asked, according to a copy of his speech provided to AFP.

Aschbacher pointed to the rapid expansion of space capabilities around the world, including advances in satellite technology and growing efforts to explore the Moon and Mars. He argued that Europe must respond to the changing environment by developing capabilities that allow it to play a more important role in future space activities. “In this emerging context, Europe must position itself as an indispensable partner, with its own capabilities,” he said. Europe has increasingly sought to reduce its reliance on foreign space infrastructure and strengthen its own capacity in recent years. However, establishing a crewed spaceflight programme would represent a major step beyond the continent’s existing capabilities. It would require sustained investment in spacecraft, launch systems, astronaut training, mission operations and other supporting infrastructure.

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Macron’s remarks also come as international competition in space continues to intensify. Governments and private companies are investing heavily in technologies linked to satellite communications, lunar exploration and future missions to Mars. The Paris summit was intended to bring together major players in the sector, although several US companies, including SpaceX and Blue Origin, did not participate prominently in the event. The absence of some major American companies highlighted the broader challenges facing Europe as it seeks to strengthen its position in the global space industry. European policymakers are increasingly focused on ensuring that the continent has sufficient domestic capabilities to support strategic and scientific objectives without being overly dependent on external partners.

A European crewed spaceflight programme would also build on the continent’s long-standing participation in international space missions. European astronauts have regularly taken part in missions to the International Space Station, but those missions have depended on spacecraft and launch capabilities provided by other nations. Developing an independent system would therefore mark a significant shift in Europe's role in human space exploration. Macron has now placed crewed spaceflight among the ambitions he wants Europe to pursue over the next decade. His proposal, together with Aschbacher’s call for additional resources, reflects growing pressure on European governments to strengthen the region’s space capabilities. Whether Europe can translate that political ambition into an independent human-spaceflight programme will depend on long-term funding, technological development and cooperation among European countries and institutions.

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