ESA Wants a Little More Money for Science Missions

The new boss of ESA's science programs is asking for a teeny increase in the budget at their upcoming meeting. She says this little bit of extra cash will help fund future missions, like exploring Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. ESA's member countries gave more money for science at the last meeting, but inflation and other tough times have made that seem like less. The agency has found ways to be more efficient, but it needs more money to start working on those future missions.One big mission is to land on Enceladus in the year 2052, but planning needs to start now. ESA also wants money to keep working on missions that are already happening. The boss says ESA is working hard to get all the member countries to say yes to more money for science. She's even visited many countries to talk about it. She says scientists should help too by telling people why science is important.