Germany's Space Ambitions: Lunar Bases & Eastern Germany's Unity Concerns
The German Aerospace Centre is making strides in space exploration, developing habitat modules and lunar training facilities for the Artemis program. Meanwhile, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has visited Thuringia, potentially to address eastern Germans' feelings of being 'second class citizens'.
In space, the German Aerospace Centre is preparing for lunar bases. It's designing modules, training facilities, and infrastructure concepts for the Artemis program. Back on Earth, Chancellor Merz has been criticised for neglecting eastern Germany. His recent visit to Thuringia comes ahead of the 35th anniversary of German unity. The SPD, in coalition with the Chancellor's party, seemed disengaged during a Bundestag debate.
The Chancellor's visits to eastern states have been few, fueling easterners' feelings of being second class. The far-right AfD, popular in the east, has capitalised on this sentiment. The recent Bundestag debate was heated. The Left and Greens accused the government of dismantling the welfare state, while the AfD leader made provocative remarks. In Cologne, pro-life and pro-choice demonstrations were held, with roughly equal numbers of protesters.
The German Aerospace Centre's lunar base preparations are part of the Artemis program. Chancellor Merz's Thuringia visit may help address eastern Germans' concerns. The Chancellor's government faces criticism over immigration and welfare state policies, as seen in the contentious Bundestag debate and demonstrations in Cologne.
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