# 7 Europe as a world power in space
Europe has been an important link in space travel in its own way for decades. A European astronaut will join the Elon Musk rocket for the first time since SpaceX’s second unmanned mission was launched Friday morning. We talk about this with the European space program manager Justin Karbe at the Netherlands Space Office.
Apart from the traditional space powers, the United States and Russia, countries such as China and India are increasingly involved in the war on space. Europe has been doing this in its own way with the European space agency ESA for decades. Frenchman Thomas Baskett is credited with being the first European to join the SpaceX mission. He is now on his way to the International Space Station. He has been very popular in France for many years, even on Instagram.
This is a week …
… The Netherlands seems to be finally relaxed with vaccines against the corona virus. The Netherlands now ranks fifth, with more than a quarter of the population having the first vaccination. Moreover, Europe seems to have been much discussed in Dutch politics after the elections. After all, the D66 has grown, the Volt is new to parliament and Dirk John Epping brings a lot of knowledge and experience from Brussels on behalf of JA21.
Seventh Europe Podcast
This time it’s not Kirt John Hahn, he’s enjoying a well – deserved vacation, but Sophie van Leeuwen, the political correspondent helping Stephen de Vries. Together they keep an eye on Brussels, the European Union, Schengen, the eurozone and the edges of our continent.
Top in Italy
Discovered by Stephen de Vries in the early PNR era and now plucked from the archives: a random number in Europe 1. Are there any gems we should not stop from our ears à la Trocostia tin tea? Last week we went to Germany: this time we are going a little further south for a beautiful summer song.
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