The European Space Agency (ESA) will create a ship to send people to the moon. It is reported by the Financial Times.

The newspaper, citing ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, notes that the spacecraft should be developed in the next decade, for which the agency is already considering proposals.

The publication writes that the project of a lunar manned spacecraft is necessary for Europe to reduce the backlog from the United States and other countries in astronautics. The Financial Times acknowledges that ESA is currently NASA's junior partner in the study of the Earth's natural satellite.

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In May, European Spaceflight reported that ESA had entered into agreements with ArianeGroup, Avio, SENER and The Exploration Company to develop technologies for reusable space rockets and spacecraft.

In May, Aschbacher told the newspaper El Pais that the decision to end Europe's space cooperation with Russia was not an easy one.