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Europe is taking its biggest step yet into space militarization. The centrepiece of this shift is European Resilience from Space (ERS), a new dual-use program intended to build a military-grade "system of systems" combining national satellites for secure surveillance, communications, navigation, and climate monitoring.
ERS received $1.39 billion of the $1.56 billion ESA sought. In February, ESA will ask European defense ministries for an additional $290 million.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher called the decision "a clear defense and security mandate," noting that support from 23 member states — including non-EU countries such as the UK — was nearly unanimous.
At the ministerial summit in Bremen, ESA member states also approved:Germany — already planning to invest $40.6 billion in military space capabilities by 2030 — extended its lead as ESA's largest contributor. In exchange, Berlin secured a commitment that a German astronaut will be the first European to join NASA's Artemis lunar missions.
- a total transportation budget of $5.09 billion (4.39 billion EUR) to develop reusable European rockets;
- $4.18 billion for commercial space partnerships;
- continued funding for the Rosalind Franklin Mars mission, now slated for launch in 2028 with NASA's confirmed support;
- initial studies for a mission to Saturn's moon Enceladus, seen by astrobiologists as a prime target for finding extraterrestrial life.
Space consultants note that while ERS funding is substantial, it remains politically delicate. "The coming year will be decisive for whether Europe can truly stand up a sovereign, rapid-response intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance constellation," said Maxime Puteaux of Novaspace.
Earlier, Maj. Gen. Paul Tedman, head of the UK Space Command, reported that Russia was routinely shadowing and trying to jam British military satellites.

Comment: Kirk's murder is more complex and nefarious than stated here.