Enabling & Support

Cross-Cutting Initiatives

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ESA / Enabling & Support / Space Engineering & Technology

Addressing directly the key technological challenges of this new century: sustainability of space activities on Earth and in orbit; key advances in scientific instruments; space technologies which can help address the energy challenges on Earth and the building blocks for human and robotic exploration.

Further coordination is being achieved between ESA’s Technology programmes through a set of four user-driven cross-cutting initiatives:

Clean Space

With environmental legislation set to change the way the space industry works, this initiative aims to convert a challenge into an opportunity for Europe’s competitive advantage, favouring the development of new green technologies and working techniques, and preserving the orbital environmental from the mounting threat of space debris.

Future Instrument Technologies

Promising new science instruments for future breakthroughs will be selected through the Agency’s science advisory bodies to give Europe a portfolio of science technologies ready for mission adoption.

Space Technology for Energy

Allowing the space sector to benefit from synergies with a much more widely established and wealthy partner, energy.

Exploration Technologies

Combining together the roadmaps of developments needed in all technologies to implement the three-destination strategy of Low-Earth Orbit, the Moon and Mars.