Lex Delles reaffirms Luxembourg's commitment to the space sector at ESA ministerial council in Bremen

The Minister of the Economy, SME, Energy, and Tourism, Lex Delles, participated in the European Space Agency (ESA) Council meeting at the ministerial level on November 26 and 27, 2025, in Bremen, Germany. The purpose of the meeting was to determine the major strategic orientations and the agency's budget for the period spanning 2026 to 2029.

Held every three years, the Council provided an opportunity for the Luxembourg delegation, comprising Minister Lex Delles, representatives of the Ministry of the Economy, and the Luxembourg Space Agency, to reaffirm the Grand Duchy's commitment to the various ESA programs and its support for the proposal put forward by Director General, Josef Aschbacher, for the coming years.

The ESA proposal focuses on five major ambitions:

• Protecting the Planet and Climate: Through the development of technologies and missions to combat climate change, monitor the environment, and promote a sustainable space economy.
• Fostering Exploration and Discovery: By strengthening European leadership in space science and exploration.
• Reinforcing European Autonomy and Resilience: Notably by ensuring independent access to space and developing secure connectivity systems.
• Driving Growth and Competitiveness: By stimulating technological innovation, strengthening industrial capacities, and attracting private investment.
• Being a Source of Inspiration for Europe: Through the promotion of space education and the reinforcement of international cooperation.

In line with its national space strategy, Luxembourg is investing in high-potential thematic areas and markets for the Grand Duchy, whether they are commercial markets or those linked to major EU programs. For the 2026-2029 period, these include: human and robotic exploration, Earth observation, navigation, secure communications and connectivity, space transportation systems, and commercialization.

These investments are materialized through Luxembourg's subscription to the optional and mandatory ESA programs related to these thematic domains. Luxembourg's financial commitment to the various ESA programs totals €149.3 million for the 2026 to 2029 period. The total budget allocated by all Member States to ESA programs following the Ministerial Council amounts to €22,1 billion.

Furthermore, an envelope of €115.8 million will be allocated to the national LuxIMPULSE program, implemented with the assistance of the ESA, for the same period. Following the Government Council's agreement last Friday on the draft law submitted to it, a total amount of €265.1 million will therefore be dedicated to supporting the development of the Luxembourg space ecosystem over the next three years.

This commitment will allow Luxembourg-based companies, through ESA's principle of "geographic return," to access European support programs. This will enable them to develop their technologies, products, and service solutions that can be commercialized in the years to come, thereby generating significant added value for the Luxembourg economy.

"Our membership in the European Space Agency (ESA) since 2005 has proactively supported the development of the Luxembourg space ecosystem. These programs have direct economic benefits for Luxembourg's space industry. They are instruments that effectively enable Luxembourgish companies and public research organizations to develop technologies, products, and services, thus supporting the development of the space sector as a major axis of economic diversification. Luxembourg fully shares the ambitions of the ESA centered around the five major themes that have been presented," declared Lex Delles.

Press release by the Ministry of the Economy and the Luxembourg Space Agency