The Latest U.S. Slap in Europe’s Face Has Echoed Into Space: NASA Just Dumped ESA From Artemis Program

The U.S. government’s historic cutback of NASA has a clear victim: Europe. If Congress approves the cuts proposed by the Trump administration, the European Space Agency (ESA)—one of NASA’s most loyal partners—will be left holding the bag on some of its most critical joint projects with the U.S.

Context. The White House budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 includes a drastic cut for NASA, slashing its annual budget from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion—a 25% decrease. The cuts strike hardest at NASA’s science division but have also upended the U.S. lunar program and its partners.

The Artemis program, which Trump pushed during his first term, will transition to private industry starting in 2027, with the cancellation of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft. The Gateway lunar station, involving several international partners, has been scrapped altogether.

It’s a slap in the face for the European agency. Although the move had been anticipated—Boeing warned employees earlier this year—the cancellation of the SLS/Orion system carries direct consequences for the European agency. ESA is responsible for the European Service Module (ESM), which provides propulsion, power, and life support for the Orion spacecraft and its crew.

The first ESM flew on the uncrewed Artemis I mission, and two more will support Artemis II and III. But in February 2021, ESA awarded Airbus a $738 million contract to manufacture three additional modules (ESM-4, 5, and 6), which now appear destined for storage.

The setback doesn’t end there. Lunar Gateway was never solely a U.S. project. The lunar orbital station, scheduled for a 2027 launch, was a collaboration between NASA and the space agencies of Japan (JAXA), Canada (CSA), the United Arab Emirates, and ESA.

Many components were already in advanced stages of development. Thales Alenia Space built the primary structure of the HALO module in Turin, Italy, which is now in the U.S. for final assembly. ESA also had a mock-up of the Lunar I-Hab—a habitat module developed with JAXA—undergoing tests. The Lunar View resupply and telecommunications module (formerly ESPRIT) was in preliminary design.

And the astronauts? These multimillion-dollar investments, now in limbo, served as bargaining chips to secure ESA astronauts’ place on future lunar missions. That lunar architecture will change entirely after Artemis III.

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Artemis I flew without a crew. Artemis II includes a Canadian astronaut—the only non-American aboard. Artemis III is set to return NASA astronauts to the lunar surface. It remains unclear when ESA astronauts will get their chance to walk on the moon.

Spanish ESA astronaut Pablo Alvarez, recently certified for spacewalks at the International Space Station, had planned to begin lunar training, hoping to serve aboard the Gateway station.

NASA is turning to the private sector. The White House defended the shift as a strategy to “return to the Moon before China and put a man on Mars.” References to putting the first woman on Mars have vanished from NASA’s website amid broader efforts to erase diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

The administration plans to allocate $7 billion to a lunar program focused on “commercial systems that will enable more ambitious subsequent lunar missions.” All eyes now turn to SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s lunar lander.

In addition, $1 billion will fund a new crewed Mars program, aligning with recommendations from Tesla CEO Elon Musk. His vision is reportedly shared by Jared Isaacman, an entrepreneur expected to become the next NASA administrator. The approach prioritizes speed and cost-cutting through the private sector while sidelining traditional collaboration models with other space agencies.

Who is ESA looking to? ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher responded with expected diplomacy. In a statement, he confirmed that follow-up meetings with NASA are already underway to assess the fallout.

“Later in the year, ESA will hold its Council at Ministerial level and is determined to raise Europe’s potential in space–for the ultimate benefit of Europe, ESA’s Member States and their citizen,” Aschbacher said, adding a subtle jab at NASA by affirming ESA’s commitment to being “not only a reliable partner, but a strong and desirable partner.”

Is closer cooperation with China on the table? China appears eager to become “the new NASA.” It has already opened its Tianwen-3 Mars lander and Chang’e-8 lunar robotic mission to international partners—likely sensing that the U.S. vacuum creates a global opportunity.

Image | ESA–M. Pédoussaut

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