The 22 member states of the European Space
agency pledged to boost their funding to
support more missions and research projects,
including a new generation of satellites to
monitor climate change.
The agency’s director-general, Jan Woerner, said
at the conclusion two-day ministerial meeting
in Seville, Spain, that member states pledged a
record three-year budget of 12.5 billion euros
($13.7 million) plus an additional 1.9 billion
euros to cover operational costs and basic
research in years four and five.
“14.4 billion euros. For me it is surprise. It is even
more than I proposed,” said Woerner. “We have
taken on some ambitious projects.”
Woerner said that “climate change is a
strong driver” in a bigger-than-expected
funding boost for Europe’s Copernicus Earth-
observation satellites.