ESA Moves Forward While NASA Prepares to Step Back in S&T
ESA celebrated its 50th birthday at this week’s Paris Air Show, signing agreements for future space missions, releasing a space technology vision, and reinforcing its association with the European Union. One of NASA’s oldest partners, ESA is moving forward despite global uncertainty in general and cooperation with NASA in particular. The deep cuts in President Trump’s FY2026 budget request could affect many NASA-ESA joint programs including NASA’s participation in the space-based gravitational wave detector LISA. Nonetheless, ESA optimistically signed an agreement with OHB to begin LISA’s construction.