The German government anticipates having a national astronaut participating in upcoming US missions to the Moon. However, Minister for Research, Dorothee Bär, cautioned against overly optimistic expectations regarding the first flight. While she confirmed that the first European astronaut heading to the Moon will be German, she clarified that walking on the Moon is not yet guaranteed. Bär explained that the plans have been adjusted following recent changes at NASA, stating that “realistically, we could be onboard starting with the Artemis-5 mission”.
According to the Minister, Germany’s success in securing astronaut spots was due to its strong standing within the European Space Agency (ESA) and the American reliance on European technology. She highlighted that the European Service Module (ESM), constructed in Bremen, is crucial because it enables “the astronauts onboard to breathe”. Bär asserted that NASA needs Europe. Nevertheless, securing the nomination for a German astronaut was highly competitive; she admitted, “As is common in politics, there were tough struggles. Even with our neighbouring countries”.