# Russia's Soyuz Ban Forced Europe Into Commercial Crew Independence

- slug: russias-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.

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