Jun 19, 2026 · 15 min · 11 segments
Lord Heseltine tells the story of the birth of the European Space Agency. Why post-Apollo, when the US was spending £1.2 billion a year on space, the whole of Europe was spending just £200 million…
Alice BunnHostWell, I remember my part in it very clearly.
A file came across my desk when I was a minister of aerospace asking, if I remember correctly, for about five or six million pounds to go to a British company because it was alleged that the French and the Germans were subsidizing their companies and we needed to keep up.
I read this and I said, look, before you get me a decision on this, I want you to give me two figures.
I want to know what is the total European spend on space if we put all the space programs of Europe into one pot.
And then I want to know what the Americans are spending on space.
It didn't take long.
The figures came back, and I'll never forget them.
If you put the whole of Europe into one pot, 200 million pounds a year, The Americans were spending six times that, £1.2 billion per year.
And I said to officials, look, you're just playing in Toy Town.
Six million here or there isn't going to secure the sort of leading edge technological important position that you're talking about.
The deal that we developed was based on the self-interest of three major countries.
The Germans were anxious to see a European commitment to the American post-Apollo program.
British industry wanted the leadership in satellite technology.
That was the basis of the partnership that we put forward and which was ultimately successful.
remarkable how little has changed.
Well, I remember my part in it very clearly.
A file came across my desk when I was a minister of aerospace asking, if I remember correctly, for about five or six million pounds to go to a British company because it was alleged that the French and the Germans were subsidizing their companies and we needed to keep up.
I read this and I said, look, before you get me a decision on this, I want you to give me two figures.
I want to know what is the total European spend on space if we put all the space programs of Europe into one pot.
And then I want to know what the Americans are spending on space.
It didn't take long.
The figures came back, and I'll never forget them.
If you put the whole of Europe into one pot, 200 million pounds a year, The Americans were spending six times that, £1.2 billion per year.
And I said to officials, look, you're just playing in Toy Town.
Six million here or there isn't going to secure the sort of leading edge technological important position that you're talking about.
The deal that we developed was based on the self-interest of three major countries.
The Germans were anxious to see a European commitment to the American post-Apollo program.
British industry wanted the leadership in satellite technology.
That was the basis of the partnership that we put forward and which was ultimately successful.
remarkable how little has changed.
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