Former astronaut MEP backs Europe's stellar ambitions

Former astronaut turned MEP Umberto Guidoni of the leftist GUE/NGL group believes that the European Union should have a major role in space exploration. We spoke to him just as MEPs adopted a resolution urging a new specific budget line for the European Space Policy and more investments in space-related science and technology.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the International Space Station and 30 years after the first European flew into orbit.
 
The Chinese are going to the Moon, Americans are conquering Mars, what is there left for the Europeans? Exploring the Earth?
 
Europe has an important role right now in building the international space station (ISS). Just a few months ago we launched a European laboratory called 'Columbus' that was a big success. A few months later we launched the first automatic cargo ship for the station, an ATV (automatic transfer vehicle), named after Jules Verne.
 
So far we have basically been guests either in the US or the Russian space program. But since other players are coming up such as India and China it is becoming ever more important that Europeans can have an independent access to space. We have to invest more into space research and technology in order to have an industry capable of competing with other international players.
 
On 14 November the Czech Republic became the 18th member of the European Space Agency, the first of the new EU Members to do so. How can new members contribute to the ESP?
 
I am particularly glad that the Czech Republic is participating in the ESA, because it has a tradition and knowledge in aerospace. By the way, the first European to go to space was a Czech. I think that other countries that recently joined the EU should also be part of it. The space business has to be international.
 
What can the ESP do for European citizens in their real lives? How can the EP justify seeking extra EU expenditure for that purpose? 
 
Fuel cells are just one example to show the importance of space research as we are talking about environment protection and manufacturing new cars not using fossil fuels. Fuels cells were invented in the 60s just for the Apollo program. They represented a very compact way of producing electricity using hydrogen and a special chemical reaction. This technology still costs way too much to be commercialized.
 
A second answer would be knowledge and exploration, which have no price. Christopher Columbus also had a very hard time finding sponsors to fund his voyage overseas, but eventually his discovery changed the history of mankind. We cannot know what will be of the Earth in 200 years from now: we may have colonies on Mars or on another planet that will definitely change the course of our history.
 
Would you run a space travel agency?
 
I think space tourism is a good idea. People want to go to space because they are fascinated with the idea; the view is breath-taking, etc. It is also useful in terms of realizing how fragile the Earth is, seen from the space. A space trip may make people better and more interested in environmental issues.
 
There are some technical constraints though; even if you are ready to pay 200 thousand Euros to go into space, you may not want to spend one year training for the trip. It will take probably five years to have the first commercial agency open.
 
When is your next mission in orbit?
 
I made two flights in ten years; but now the Shuttle is at the end of its time and our time is over as well. By 2010 the Shuttle will be grounded for ever, and now they are building a new vehicle, which will have new astronauts. So I decided to come back to Europe and find new challenges in the political arena.