The European Space Agency announced Thursday it had secured a record budget of 22.1 billion euros to fund its programmes for the next three years, as the continent seeks greater independence in space.

The ESA also approved a plan to bolster defence cooperation and laid out plans for scientific space missions at a ministerial council meeting in the German city of Bremen.

The agency's 23 member states committed five billion euros more than 2022's budget, with the total representing almost all of the 22.2-billion-euro ($25.7 billion) funding sought by the agency.

"This has never happened before," ESA director general Josef Aschbacher told the meeting.

The amount of funding "speaks volumes -- it's a sign of confidence in the agency, Aschbacher AFP in an interview.

At the heart of the disc

See Full Page