Bremen (Germany) – ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher announced at the agency’s council in Bremen that German, French, and Italian astronauts will be the first Europeans to embark on lunar missions. He stated, “The first flight will be assigned to a German astronaut.”
The ESA is contributing to the American lunar program by building the Orion capsule and providing components for the lunar orbiting station.
Among the French astronaut candidates is Thomas Pesquet, who attended the event in Bremen and received backing from France’s space minister, Philippe Baptiste. Pesquet, at 47, is Europe’s most seasoned astronaut with nearly 400 days in space. He expressed, “This means that Europe has a long-term role in this adventure, and that France secures its position within Europe.”
Astronauts are expected to return to the Moon in 2026, while the Artemis III mission is planned for 2027 or 2028, marking the first lunar landing since 1972. (November 27, 2025)













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