Lunar Dreams: Episode 7: ESA: The Moon Awakens Cancelled

[fredinno]

http://spacenews.com/europe-hit-snooze-on-woerners-the-moon-awakens-push/

Pardon the silly title. 

ESA's lunar exploration plans- which begins with robotic missions, and leads to an International Manned Lunar Landing (and base), are only proposals backed by ESA director general Woerner (who was also chairman of the German Space Agency), and unlikely to proceeded with in the near future.

These plans have not wholly caught on in most of ESA's member states- they are preferring to concentrate on ExoMars, which may face increasing pressure on ESA as Rocosmos' budget declines. Additionally, no country has come up as the leader for a Lunar Exploration Program and the most enthusiastic nation, Germany, has little space to lead such a project. Though Woerner has an ability to move his pet project forward, the lack of internal support makes significant advancements unlikely.

On the other hand, the US FAA Commerical Space Trsnsportation Advisory Commitee has opened talks on how US Space Companies can participate in Woerner's Lunar Plans. I don't expect much to come out of this either.

TL;DR: ESA's lunar exploration program proposals are not serious. Expect it to not happen in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy the pretty concept art and animations of it ESA makes- that's probably as far as they will get with this plan. Unless maybe NASA moves its SLS/Orion mission to land on the Moon.

[Spaceception]

1 minute ago, fredinno said:

http://spacenews.com/europe-hit-snooze-on-woerners-the-moon-awakens-push/

Pardon the silly title. 

ESA's lunar exploration plans- which begins with robotic missions, and leads to an International Manned Lunar Landing (and base), are only proposals backed by ESA director general Woerner (who was also chairman of the German Space Agency), and unlikely to proceeded with in the near future.

These plans have not wholly caught on in most of ESA's member states- they are preferring to concentrate on ExoMars, which may face increasing pressure on ESA as Rocosmos' budget declines. Additionally, no country has come up as the leader for a Lunar Exploration Program and the most enthusiastic nation, Germany, has little space to lead such a project. Though Woerner has an ability to move his pet project forward, the lack of internal support makes significant advancements unlikely.

On the other hand, the US FAA Commerical Space Trsnsportation Advisory Commitee has opened talks on how US Space Companies can participate in Woerner's Lunar Plans. I don't expect much to come out of this either.

TL;DR: ESA's lunar exploration program proposals are not serious. Expect it to not happen in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy the pretty concept art and animations of it ESA makes- that's probably as far as they will get with this plan. Unless maybe NASA moves its SLS/Orion mission to land on the Moon.

Aww, I was hoping for a moon base:( Why can't governments just fund these things!?

[Kaos]

11 hours ago, Spaceception said:

Aww, I was hoping for a moon base:( Why can't governments just fund these things!?

Governments can fund these things. They just do not do so. Perhaps this is a result of a lot of people not interested in anything and the governments not wanting to fund stuff which no one is interested in. In fact, many countries do not even fund their own infrastructure properly, because some people fear taxes more than anything else and do not want to see where this kind of behavior leads.