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Europe is moving forward independently on a Venus exploration mission after the White House directed NASA to cancel some international partnerships, including yanking a radar instrument slated for the mission. European space officials are now looking inward—and potentially to China—for collaboration as U.S. involvement in shared planetary science missions wanes. Separately, commentary highlighted a European space entrepreneur seen as newly capable of meeting the moment for continental launch ambitions, arguing Europe needs 'a massive rocket at a massive cadence' to remain relevant, reflecting broader anxiety about Europe's dependence on U.S. space infrastructure.