The Artemis lunar exploration campaign faces uncertainty due to a proposed NASA budget that suggests canceling the lunar Gateway and ending the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion programs after the Artemis 3 mission. This has raised concerns among international partners, including Canada, Europe, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates, who are actively involved in the program.
At the Global Conference on Space Exploration (GLEX) 2025, Walther Pelzer, director general of the German Space Agency, highlighted Germany's significant role in the European Service Module for Orion. He expressed concerns about the proposed shift to commercial systems after Artemis 3, questioning the readiness of such systems and the potential gap in US-led exploration before Mars missions. “If this plan will be put into practice, a lot of question marks show up,” he said, citing SpaceX’s Starship’s developmental milestones. “I can’t picture that the U.S. will have such a big gap between Artemis 3 and really being capable of going to Mars, and open up space for others to be the leading nation in exploration.”
Salem Al Marri, director general of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, representing the UAE, emphasized the need for flexibility in response to the budget uncertainty. “We have to be quite nimble,” he said, highlighting the UAE's commitment to adapting to potential program changes while maintaining collaborations. Several agencies, including ESA and CSA, stated their intent to continue their contributions despite the ongoing budget debate. Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s director general, confirmed: “We will commit on our side to contribute what we have promised,” and Jill Smyth of the CSA reiterated their ongoing work on Canadarm3. Pelzer remained optimistic, referencing past instances where Congress overruled proposed program cancellations. “Until we really have the final budget, we will stay with the way ahead. We will show to our NASA partners and the other partners in Artemis that we will put everything in place to make sure that the Artemis program will be put into practice.”
The absence of NASA at GLEX 2025 prompted discussions about potential alternatives to existing international cooperation models. Caroline Laurent of CNES suggested exploring new partnerships. “I think we need to develop alternative cooperations than the ones we were used to,” she stated, proposing closer collaborations between ISRO, the Emirates, Canada, and JAXA. On the sidelines of GLEX, ESA and ISRO signed a statement of intent for increased cooperation, including interoperability of docking systems and astronaut training, potentially paving the way for European participation in India’s future space station.