By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
European Space Agency
Director General Josef Aschbacher has highlighted resilience, autonomy,
competitiveness and international partnerships as key priorities for Europe’s
space sector as the International Astronautical Congress 2026 gets underway in
Antalya.
The congress kicked off in
Antalya, where discussions are focusing on Europe’s future space capabilities,
infrastructure, security and exploration.
Aschbacher said space is
“critical to Europe's infrastructure, security and prosperity,” placing
resilience among the key priorities emerging from the opening day of the event.
He also highlighted Europe’s
preparations for the next phase of space exploration, from low Earth orbit to
the Moon and Mars.
“Europe is preparing for the
next chapter of exploration,” Aschbacher said, pointing to the continent’s
ambitions across a range of future exploration missions.
Autonomy was another central
theme, with Aschbacher stressing that Europe must strengthen its ability to act
independently where it matters most.
At the same time, he said
supporting European industry to innovate, scale and compete globally remains a
key priority for the European space sector.
International cooperation
also remains central to ESA’s approach, with Aschbacher stressing that
partnerships are essential for addressing challenges that no single nation or
agency can tackle alone.
He said one of the major
benefits of international space gatherings such as the IAC is the opportunity
to meet partners from around the world and discuss current, future and
potential joint projects.
“Having strong and loyal
partnerships will be important on the road to ESA's Intermediate Ministerial
Meeting in December and beyond as we prep the future of Europe's exploration
capabilities,” he said.
