Europe's space chief wants the continent to be able to send astronauts into space on its own.

European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher laid out a roughly €10 billion plan for Europe to reach space without relying on NASA, Euronews reported.

"We would like to strengthen our autonomy," Aschbacher told Politico Europe in September. "The very visible part, which we are discussing, is whether we shall build up a European capability to bring astronauts to space with our own means." That would mean Europe's own rocket, crew vehicle, launch system and recovery operations.

He wants European countries to decide by the end of this year whether to go ahead, Politico reported.

Europe has never launched its own astronauts. European astronauts fly on American spacecraft, such as SpaceX's Crew Dragon, or in the past on Russian Soyuz rockets.

ESA received record budget commitments of more than €22 billion from member states at its 2025 ministerial meeting, a 32% increase from 2022, Euronews reported. Members also gave ESA a historic mandate to use space technology for non-aggressive security and defense, including monitoring borders.

Aschbacher said the space industry, worth about €600 billion, is expected to grow by 10% a year.

The push comes as Europe worries about depending on the U.S. for key technology. French President Emmanuel Macron has also urged Europe to develop a crewed spaceflight program.

Supporters say independent access to space is vital for Europe's security and science. Critics question whether the cost is worth it when commercial U.S. options already exist.

What we know: ESA chief Josef Aschbacher wants Europe able to launch astronauts on its own, at a cost he puts at around €10 billion.
What we don't: Whether ESA member states will approve the plan.