Parliament seeks bigger role in space

Parliament could play a larger role in the development of France’s space policy, a report from the Senate’s Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices has suggested.

In a report published ahead of the European Space Agency’s ministerial meeting this month, the office points out that the US Congress has significant power over the NASA budget but that this is not the case in France. While the role of Congress can be disruptive, the report implies, there is nevertheless a role for parliament when it comes to deciding on issues such as the priorities of the national space agency, the CNES.