BREMEN, Germany — The election of Donald Trump as president is causing shockwaves in Europe’s space community, with some calling for increased spe

Europe weighs impact of Trump administration on space cooperation

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2024-11-22 12:30:02

BREMEN, Germany — The election of Donald Trump as president is causing shockwaves in Europe’s space community, with some calling for increased spending on space capabilities to reduce reliance on the United States.

During sessions at the Space Tech Expo Europe conference here and in side meetings, officials expressed concerned that an “America first” approach promoted by Trump during his election campaign could weaken cooperation with Europe on civil and military space during his administration.

“It is foreseeable that our longstanding and good partner, the U.S.A., will change its space priorities in the future,” said Kristina Vogt, senator for the economy, ports and transformation for the German state of Bremen, in a keynote at the conference Nov. 19.

While she said it is not clear how specifically those priorities will change, “if the U.S.A. takes a similar course in the space sector as it has already announced in other industrial sectors, this will mean less transatlantic cooperation at a time of global challenges.”