Many people do not even know what achievements space travel has brought them. The industry is facing even greater challenges. But for this, German politics must create better framework conditions, especially for “New Space” companies.
Essay by
Dieter Sürig
When astronaut Alexander Gerst worked on the International Space Station ISS in 2014 and 2018 and tweeted photos of the earth, there was great enthusiasm in Germany. It will be similar for Matthias Maurer, who is scheduled to start for the ISS this Sunday. Many children and young people experience their “Apollo moment” in this way – like in 1969, when the first people flew into space with the rocket of the same name and landed on the moon. Now they also want to become an astronaut and are therefore studying a natural science subject. The role models are now the geoscientist Gerst or the materials scientist Maurer.