Ambitious plans for European missions to the Moon and Mars are being considered by the French government.
It wants to kick-start a revolution in space by letting EU politicians not bureaucrats decide on priorities for the European Space Agency (Esa).
The French say that if Europe fails to change its approach to space, it will fall behind Japan, China and India.
More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7482232.stm