THE head of the European Space Agency will meet officials in the United Arab Emirates this week as Europe seeks new partners and aims to reduce its reliance on the United States for space exploration.
The rise of Elon Musk's SpaceX has laid bare Europe's reliance on American space technology.
"Number one, we should strengthen our capability, become a stronger player in the global ecosystem, but one that uses its strength to still work with other partners," Josef Aschbacher, director general of the ESA, told Reuters.
"We realised that in exploration, Europe is very exposed to the United States," Aschbacher added, saying that European political leaders had told him that the region needed "more autonomy and more strength."
