The BDI called for Germany to play a "central role" in the return to the moon. (picture alliance/MohssenAssanimoghaddam/dpa/archive)
The Federation of German Industry (BDI) on Tuesday urged the German government to put considerably more money into space travel, saying the research was of key importance to the country's future.
Germany's strengths as a leading industrial nation were not being reflected in the space sector, with the country occupying only the ninth spot in international rankings, the BDI said.
Given the increasing significance of space for the modern economy, it is essential to increase the national space budget, a position paper published in Berlin on Tuesday said.
Fifty years after the first man on the moon, the BDI called for Germany to play a "central role" in the return to the moon, which had the potential over the longer term to provide a base for a mission to Mars.
The BDI mentioned autonomous vehicles in particular in its position paper on space travel published in Berlin on Tuesday.
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