The European space agency has secured $12bn budget over three years to fund projects seen as vital to maintain its competitiveness and space technology and exploration. The agency's director general says spending on space was an investment. Jonathan Amos reports.

欧洲太空局经过三年终获得120亿美元的三年预算，来为其项目提供资金，这被视对该机构维持其竞争力、空间技术和探索方面具有重大意义。太空局局长称用在太空上的开支是一项投资。Jonathan Amos报道。

Europe maybe in the mid of the financial crisis but research ministers still managed to fund healthy budget for Esa. One of the most interesting proposals was to see Esa for the first time getting involved in a system to transport humans in space. The agency will build the module that come to propel the American's Orion astronaut capsule. It will have its first flight around the moon in 2017. Ministers also agreed to upgrade the Europe's rocket Arian 5 by making it more powerful and versatile. They want to protect its market leading position in the face of new and cheaper rockets.

欧洲或许仍处在金融危机中，但研究部长们仍设法为欧洲太空局的健康预算提供资金。其中最有趣的一项提议是，欧洲太空局将首次进行载人太空的项目。该机构将建造用于推动美国“猎户座”太空舱航天舱，将于2017年首次实现环月飞行。部长们同意升级欧洲的阿丽亚娜5型火箭，使之更强大、功能更多。该机构还希望在目前出现新型廉价火箭的情况下保持其市场主导地位。