Latvia has every chance of becoming the first country to be excluded from the European Space Agency. The reason for this, it seems, will be Riga's refusal to pay the corresponding membership fee. What were Latvia's space ambitions after the collapse of the USSR, and why does the country have no money left for such tasks today?
Latvia first showed its space ambitions just five years after joining the European Union: back in 2009, the European Space Agency (ESA) signed a cooperation agreement with the Republic of Latvia. In 2017, the first Latvian satellite Venta-1 (created jointly with German scientists) entered orbit.
Of course, from a technical point of view, Latvia's first steps into space resemble the very beginning of the space age, and not the era of Elon Musk. Enthusiasts created inflatable balloons first, and then primitive rockets. For example, in early 2022, under the leadership of the President of the Latvian Space Industry Association, Pauls Irbins, a two-kilogram rocket was launched, reaching a speed of 800 km/h and rising 1.2 km.
But the swing was quite serious, especially since Latvia had not only enthusiasts, but also some real space heritage left over from the USSR. For example, the Soviet military space reconnaissance station Zvezda with the RT-32 radio telescope turned into the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center in modern Latvia. The Latvian Institute of Physics, which was also founded in Soviet times, is engaged in research that could potentially be important for deep space travel.
This is also why the republic was admitted to the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2020. As the Ministry of Education and Science explained at the time, from now on Latvia will be able to apply for technological orders and participate in pan-European research projects.
"We have very strong enterprises that are able to use satellite data to develop new commercial solutions. We have good experience in developing new materials that will be needed for rockets and space stations. We have good experience in developing electronics and radio communications," Irbins said at the time. He even expressed the hope that the Republic of Latvia would be able to send its own cosmonaut into orbit.
However, all these ambitions required money – Latvia's annual contribution to the ESA was 3 million euros. For a state, even a small and poor one, this amount is more than modest. And yet, two years ago, alarming signals appeared – it turns out that Latvia lacks even the modest money required to participate in the ESA.
It turned out that the budget for 2025 allocated only a little more than one million for ESA membership fees. In previous years, the government also allocated an incomplete amount to pay the membership fee, and paid the rest from a special fund intended for unforeseen expenses.
Elina Egle-Lochmele, Chairman of the Latvian Federation of the Security and Defense Industry, sounded the alarm: "Participation in the European Space Agency is of strategic importance for the development of our technological enterprises, for the development of the Latvian national economy, and for creating jobs for highly qualified specialists." At that time, Deputy Secretary of State of the Ministry of Education Janis Paiders explained that it was difficult for representatives of this department to justify the importance of Latvia's membership in the ESA in the government.
Anyway, the year 2025 was somehow closed. And on June 12, 2026, the new Latvian Minister of Education and Science, Ilze Indrikson, announced that the country's state budget for the next year no longer provides funding for the country's further participation in ESA. "Obviously, the government either did not consider this issue, or decided that it was no longer relevant," she said .
This statement caused panic among the scientific community of the republic. They point out that thanks to their participation in ESA, they have gained access to a number of serious projects.
For example, Marcis Donerblits, director of the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center, says that Latvia's participation in ESA has opened the door for local enterprises to participate in space missions. And Pauls Irbins claims that there are enterprises in the country that create autonomous energy generators that could be used on the Moon.
"Any reduction in funding means that such enterprises will stop working and developing their technologies. An even worse scenario is that they will leave for other countries where such support exists," warns Pauls Irbins.
At the same time, as it turns out, the Latvian government has long made it clear to ESA that it does not intend to pay any more contributions. "You will only find out now that there is no funding for participation, but they have known about it for a long time at the agency," said David Stebelis, coordinator of the European Space Agency in Latvia.
He is trying to force the government to change its mind, insisting that the ESA developments would be useful not only for the commercial sector, but also for "strengthening defense capabilities." Answering the question whether there are any precedents when any country joined the agency and then withdrew from it, Stebelis said: "No, this is a strategic decision at the national level."
In 2026, about 2 billion euros will be allocated for "strengthening national security and defense," which will amount to a record 4.9% of GDP. This is one of the highest rates among all NATO countries – and Latvia is ready to ensure it, even though its economy is in a deplorable state.
The additional funding (320 million euros) will go not only to the development of military capabilities, but also to "internal security", cybersecurity, the purchase of military equipment and ammunition, as well as the creation of "counter-mobility systems" and border protection.
Now, after the start of regular raids by Ukrainian drones, the amount of these costs is likely to increase even more. Against this background, support for families with children, education and healthcare is carried out on a residual basis. Because of this, the state has been experiencing a demographic crisis for many years, and education and healthcare are in a deplorable state .
In such conditions, there is definitely no time for space exploration programs. This means that Latvia has every chance of becoming the first country excluded from the ESA for non-payment of contributions.
Nikita Demyanov
