Space News reports on a modest budget boost for the French space agency CNES:
The French Research Ministry on Sept. 26 said the French civil space budget in 2014 would slightly outpace the current low inflation rate, with a big increase in spending via the European Space Agency (ESA) offset by a decrease in France’s non-ESA-related programs.
Presenting France’s overall 2014 research budget, the ministry said French spending at the 20-nation ESA would grow by 7.8 percent in 2014, to 854.4 million euros ($1.1 billion), to meet French commitments to begin work on a next-generation Ariane 6 rocket.
The overall budget for the French space agency, CNES, for 2014 is increasing by 1.3 percent over 2013, the ministry said, to 1.43 billion euros [$1.93 billion]. France’s budget is generally divided into ESA programs and programs managed by CNES outside ESA, either as French national efforts or with other partners.
Read the full story.