After 48 hours of Naples meeting of Ministers twenty European States participating in the European space Agency (ESA), they also approved the five-year budget office and outlined the main directions of its activity.

The budget is equal to ?10,1 billion ($13 billion), as compared with the same NASA small. However, the critical question was an expected specific priorities when it is split. Recall that the French have for years insisted on the immediate financing the development of the Ariane 6. If such decision was accepted, believes France, by 2021 with total investments of ?4 billion in the first rocket would carry a payload into orbit. Representatives of the German centre for air and space (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft - und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), headed by the Chairman of the Executive Board of DLR Johann-Dietrich Werner (Johann-Dietrich W?rner), by contrast, offer a policy of "small deeds". They say, should be partially upgraded Ariane 5, to a new version of Ariane 5 ME that it would ESA ?2 billion

Ariane 6 in the coming years will not fly. Given that its predecessor, the Ariane 5, was a key missile on the market of commercial launches, ESA runs the risk of loss of its leading position in a very important area. (Here and below illustrate ESA.)
Ariane 6 in the coming years will not fly. Given that its predecessor, the Ariane 5, was a key missile on the market of commercial launches, ESA runs the risk of loss of its leading position in a very important area. (Here and below illustrate ESA.)

In this dispute the victory has remained rather for Germany: Ariane 5 ME all the same will be developed and made its first flight roughly in 2017-2018, (date, already today seem Sunny optimistic). However, the upper stage will be made compatible with the future Ariane 6. Given that its implementation for Ariane 6 discussed with which to combine the top step of a modernized version, is still a mystery. This, incidentally, may further postpone the date of the first flight of the upgraded PH.

By the way, Elon Musk, CEO notorious SpaceX, competition from the side of which is the main reason behind the European sighs on aging Ariane 5, said on this occasion that the upgrade will not help the media to be achieved and Falcon Falcon 9 Heavy. Chance, he said, the Europeans still there - but only if they are absolutely new missile, not focusing on the compatibility of components.

Alas, among other solutions Naples meeting was also collapsing programs soft landing automatic research unit at the South pole of the moon in 2018. Germany here rather lost - the idea was her, but the remaining members of ESA, to put it mildly, were not interested in the expensive project.

Perhaps the most interesting news for the Russians was the fact that the Europeans have signed with Roscosmos project agreements ExoMars, which was originally displaing cooperation with NASA. After the Americans, promising the participation of personnel and finances, "all forgotten," Europeans faced the choice: to minimize or join someone else. Finally they decided, and finally, in favor of cooperation with Russia. However, the flight in 2016-2018, now not promise, but the new date is not known.

Based on the materials of the European space Agency.