ESA: 2026 Budget rises 7.6%
January 12, 2026
By Chris Forrester
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) budget has risen by 7.6 per cent to a total of €8.26 billion. Of that total, some 56 per cent will be allocated to Earth Observation, Navigation & Connectivity and Secure Communications.
ESA’s 3-year spending plans amount to €22.3 billion ($26.1bn) and represents an overall 31 per cent increases over the previous 3-year period. ESA says it is a 17 per cent rise once inflation is taken into account.
The 2026 budget of €8.26 billion will see two-thirds coming from ESA’s member states, and the European Union stumping up 23.4 per cent coming from its member governments.
Cash is being provided for smaller initiatives, not least Italy’s Iride and Greece’s Small Satellite programme (33 Iride craft, and 11 satellites for Greece).
In a January 8th press briefing, ESA Director-General Josef Aschbacher said 48 Earth Observation satellites would be launched in 2026 under the agency’s supervision, compared to 22 in 2025.