€10.3bn pledged at ESA council

Ministers from 22 EU countries have underscored their belief in a common space project with a major cash injection and approval for the ExoMars mission, despite criticism of delays and rising costs of operations.

At the Ministerial Council in Lucerne, Switzerland, ministers from 22 EU countries committed a total of €10.3 billion to the European Space Agency over the next five years. They agreed to fork out the €400 million required to bring the ExoMars mission to completion in the next five years.

At the high-level meeting, held every two years, ministers also decided that ESA will participate in the International Space Station (ISS) until at least 2024, promising a total of €1.4bn.