
-
Indian army says new exchange of gunfire with Pakistan
-
Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre takes own life in Australia: family
-
Hundreds of buildings damaged, dozens injured in 6.3 Ecuador quake
-
India and Pakistan's Kashmir fallout hits economy too
-
Francis's funeral to be grand farewell to 'pope of the poor'
-
Pogacar faces defiant Evenepoel at Liege-Bastogne-Liege
-
Chelsea eye great escape against Barcelona in Women's Champions League
-
Iran, US to hold new round of high-level nuclear talks
-
'Energy and effort' pay off for Reds as Blues' woes continue
-
Albatross and closing birdie lift China's Liu to LPGA Chevron lead
-
On the horizon? Wave of momentum for high seas treaty
-
Developing countries should fast-track US trade deals: World Bank president
-
Grizzlies' Morant 'doubtful' for must-win game 4 v Thunder
-
Trump in Rome for pope funeral in first foreign trip of new term
-
Trump says Russia-Ukraine deal 'very close' after new Kremlin talks
-
US rookies lead PGA pairs event with McIlroy and Lowry in hunt
-
Trump tariff promises get a reality check
-
Warriors coach Kerr 'relatively optimistic' injured Butler will play game 3
-
Postecoglou hopes 'Stonecutter's Credo' can inspire Spurs
-
PSG lose unbeaten Ligue 1 record ahead of Arsenal showdown
-
Venezuela accuses El Salvador president of 'human trafficking'
-
Own goal takes Sundowns to African final against Pyramids
-
Scores of buildings damaged, 20 injured in Ecuador quake
-
US stocks extend rally as market eyes busy calendar next week
-
Pope's death triggers surge of disinformation he fought against
-
Rovanpera takes control of Rally Islas Canarias
-
Zelensky insists Crimea is Ukrainian as US envoy meets Putin
-
Patel and Mendis help Sunrisers beat Kings in Dhoni's 400th T20
-
Copa del Rey ref statements 'unacceptable': Real Madrid after boycotting final build-up
-
Insurance CEO's accused killer pleads not guilty to federal murder charges
-
FBI arrests Wisconsin judge for shielding undocumented migrant
-
Brazil ex-president Collor de Mello jailed for corruption
-
Zelensky insists Crimea 'belongs' to Ukraine as US envoy meets Putin
-
Real Madrid boycott Copa del Rey build-up over referee complaints
-
Trinidad and Tobago votes for parliament, PM, with opposition in lead
-
IMF chief hails 'constructive' Spring Meetings held under tariff uncertainty
-
Iran FM Araghchi in Oman ahead of nuclear talks with US
-
Dozens of buildings destroyed, 20 injured in Ecuador quake
-
Young Barca must 'enjoy' Real Madrid Copa final fight: Flick
-
Pakistan and India border closure separates families
-
Brazil's Bolsonaro 'stable' after post-surgery setback
-
Catholics in secular Cuba hail Francis as 'bridge'
-
US envoy Witkoff, Putin discuss 'possibility' of direct Russia-Ukraine talks
-
Community seeks answers after French school knife killing
-
German prosecutors seek jail terms in VW 'dieselgate' trial
-
Sabalenka makes winning start at Madrid Open
-
EU, US should de-escalate and negotiate trade deal: IMF Europe director
-
Russia accuses Ukraine of killing general in car bombing
-
Emery wants FA Cup glory and Champions League berth for Villa
-
Buildings destroyed, one injured in Ecuador quake

Europe to hold competition to build space cargo ship
The European Space Agency announced Monday it would hold a competition between firms to build a ship to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, in a potential first step towards independent missions carrying astronauts.
The ESA's 22 member states, whose space ministers were meeting at a two-day summit in the Spanish city of Seville, also agreed to provide financial support for Europe's long-delayed Ariane 6 rocket.
The summit comes at a difficult time for European space efforts, as the Ariane 6 delays have left the continent without a way to independently blast its missions into space.
Europe also faces growing competition not just from the United States, but newer players China and India, as well as private companies such as billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX.
ESA chief Josef Aschbacher told the summit that "a new economy is developing in low Earth orbit that will transform space exploration," adding that "private companies are revolutionising the landscape from launchers to exploration".
Aschbacher proposed "a competition between innovative European companies" to develop a ship that would transport cargo to the ISS by 2028 -- then bring it back to Earth.
The project will require "transport, docking and re-entry capability, something Europe does not possess today," he added.
"The service vehicle could later evolve to a crew vehicle and serve other destinations beyond low Earth orbit," he said.
Aschbacher also called on Europe to decide on the scale of its ambitions in space. In April, experts in a report commissioned by the ESA called for Europe to establish a "sustained presence" on the surface of the Moon.
- 'First step' -
A source close to the negotiations told AFP that "if we want to carry out manned flights, (the cargo ship competition) is the first step."
"You have to be able to send a cargo ship to a station and come back. That is the first brick," the source added.
Aschbacher said that 75 million euros ($80 million) had been secured to fund the first phase of the project, which companies would also contribute to.
The Exploration Company, a French-German start-up already developing a vehicle to deliver cargo to potential future private space stations, welcomed the news.
"This is a new ambition for Europe," the firm's CEO Helene Huby told AFP.
Huby said the ESA's "reasonable" approach followed the roadmap of SpaceX and the US, Russian and Chinese space programmes.
"One starts with the cargo ship and then sends people," she said.
The competition indicates a new approach by the ESA based on the model of US space agency NASA, meaning that for future missions it could buy a ride on the rockets of private companies rather than developing its own such programmes.
This idea seems to clash with the long-standing ESA principle of geographic return, which holds that each country's investment should result in a roughly equal industrial benefit for its companies.
Aschbacher suggested that this principle should be called into question.
- 'Launcher crisis' -
The summit also aimed to address Europe's "launcher crisis," which Aschbacher said was the "most serious" in the history of the continent's space efforts.
Already delayed by four years, Europe's next-generation Ariane 6 rocket is now not scheduled to make its maiden flight until next year.
Europe lost access to Russia's Soyuz rockets after Moscow invaded Ukraine last year, and its smaller Vega C launcher is still grounded after the failure of its first commercial flight in December.
The ESA announced at the summit that the Ariane 6 programme would receive 340 million euros ($365 million) following negotiations between France, Germany and Italy, the agency's three biggest contributors.
The Vega C rocket could be subsidised to the tune of 21 million euros a year from its 26th to 42nd flight, it added.
The ESA also announced it would "harness space for a greener future".
Last week, the ESA and the European Union agreed to join forces to accelerate the use of Earth observation missions to collect climate change data.
L.Miller--AMWN