Europe Bets Big on $25 Billion Space Budget Amid Defense Hike

Europe’s equivalent of NASA is seeking €22 billion ($25.5 billion) from its member states for the next three years, a 36% increase from its previous budget, as nations expand their military presence in space.

At the triannual conference beginning Wednesday in Bremen, Germany, the European Space Agency will submit a €1.35 billion proposal for a new program to strengthen and synchronize the continent’s defense capabilities in space. It’s the first time that ESA, a civilian organization founded in 1975 that has steered clear of military projects, is pushing into the sector.