Opening day at ILA 2024
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The 2024 edition of the Berlin International Airshow (ILA), Germany's largest aerospace trade show, opened its doors on 5 June. ESA is taking part with an exhibition in the Space Pavilion alongside the German Space Agency (DLR) and the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI).
Highlights of the opening day included the visit of the German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Space Pavilion opening ceremony, and the kick-off press conference with ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.
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Chinese companies lag far behind American frontrunners led by SpaceX, which plans to launch Starship, a massive prototype rocket that may one day send humans to Mars, on Thursday.
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