France will support the development of a cargo spacecraft capable of transporting cargo to future space stations, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday in Toulouse, speaking of a “potentially significant market for both civilian and military needs”, France Presse reports quoting Agerpres.

“We must start this competition, but with the same method as for the launchers, paving the way for private initiatives, accepting the riskiest bets,” said the leader of the Elysée region during the presentation of the new investment development axes of “France 2030”. a plan dedicated to innovation.

Of the 54 billion euros allocated for this plan, 1.5 billion will go to the space sector, where eight micro-carriers and small reusable rockets are already being implemented, plus four more for satellite groups.

Macron: “We cannot be satisfied with a world in which all tomorrow’s companies are American or Chinese in this industry”

In November, the 22 member states of the European Space Agency (ESA) decided to take the first step towards manned space flight, expressing their desire to develop a space cargo launch by 2028, which at the first stage should put the cargo into orbit. and return to Earth, then probably with astronauts on board.

“The ESA will support the approach and France 2030 as well,” said Emmanuel Macron, who believes “the race for space will define tomorrow’s industrial progress.”

Supporting the development of a space cargo ship “will be one of the main areas of the (plan) France 2030 for space in the coming years” because “we cannot be satisfied with a world in which all the companies of tomorrow are American”. or the Chinese in this field,” the French president added.

On the other hand, he complained that “some of our historical partners have become competitors” at the expense of the necessary “European unity”, thus alluding to Germany, but not naming it directly. This country has increased its space microlauncher projects, which could replace the Ariane 6 program in the future.