The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
Go to topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
For long-term stays on the Moon and Mars, we would need to use local materials to build on location. Off-Earth manufacturing could be used to construct infrastructure that meets needs such as shielding crews and equipment from radiation, providing food and water, and generating electricity.
Throughout 2021, ESA's Discovery programme has been supporting groups from industry and academia to develop technologies for off-Earth manufacturing. These 23 activities came out of an Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) campaign for ideas for technologies that could enable off-Earth manufacturing and construction. By providing both funding and technical expertise to help teams build upon their initial ideas, the Discovery programme is engaging with innovative researchers and helping young space companies enter an emerging field of space technology development.