# Russia's Soyuz Ban Forced Europe Into Commercial Crew Independence - Date: 2026-03-20 - Category: Space & Aerospace ESA is buying its own ride to space — and taking the wheel. The European Space Agency announced March 19 that member states have endorsed a project called EPIC (ESA Provided Institutional Crew), a chartered SpaceX Crew Dragon mission set to visit the International Space Station in early 2028. ---