German Federal Minister for Education and Research, Dorothee Bär (CSU), reaffirmed Germany’s ambition to send the first European astronaut to the Moon. Bär stated to “Politico” that Germany will be the nation responsible for launching the first European person to the Moon. While she did not specify whether Alexander Gerst or Matthias Maurer would undertake the mission, she noted that succeeding on this front required significant negotiation with the European Space Agency (ESA) to counter claims from neighboring countries. According to Bär, securing this commitment was an arduous process, particularly because countries like France and Italy also put forward claims. Regarding the timeline, Bär indicated that 2028 appears to be a realistic target date for the mission.
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