Commercial Opportunities for Space Exploration
ESA’s commercial activities for space exploration support innovative business cases from European industry and promote a broader utilisation of the International Space Station. They also foster new technologies and mission support services that could boost future ESA missions to the Moon and Mars.
Since 2015, ESA has invited industry to participate in the Agency’s European Exploration Envelope Programme (E3P) – which is now called 'Terrae Novae'. To further stimulate demand, growth and long-term development in a new low Earth orbit and lunar economy, ESA has set up a Business in Space Growth Network (BSGN).
“Commercial partnership plays a growing role in the exciting ESA vision for space exploration,” commented David Parker, previous ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration.
“ESA intends to stimulate private sector engagement in space exploration and foster innovative and inspiring approaches for ISS services and utilisation and future ESA missions.”
Low Earth orbit
ESA’s Space 4.0 strategy aims to transition Low Earth Orbit (LEO) activities from being a government-run laboratory to a commercially-driven human and robotic spaceflight economy. Three commercial services, ICE Cubes, Bartolomeo and Bioreactor Express have already been established in LEO under the permanent Call For Partnerships.
Moon
Two commercial partnerships have already been established in support of the future lunar economy: the Goonhilly Earth Station and Commercial Lunar Mission Support Services (CLMSS).
ICE Cubes
The ICE Cubes service is the first European commercial opportunity to conduct research in space. This pioneering agreement signed between ESA and Space Applications Services NV/SA, Belgium, offers room to run experiments and conduct research in weightlessness inside ESA’s Columbus laboratory on the International Space Station.
Launched in May 2018, the service provides rapid and simplified access to the station on a commercial basis. For the first time, ICE Cubes users will be able to interact with their experiment directly from their home.
Bioreactor Express
With the aim to commercialise the KUBIK Incubator facility on ISS Columbus, ESA and Kayser Italia signed the Bioreactor Express commercial partnership in July 2019. The KUBIK facility is suitable for a range of experiments in biology, biotech, human research, fluid physics, and materials science. It is equipped with a centrifuge and thermal control capability. The use of existing hardware such as experiment containers enable a competitive pricing and shorter lead times for commercial customers.
Bartolomeo
Airbus Defence and Space partnered with ESA on 7 February 2018 to start developing a new commercial service for the International Space Station called Bartolomeo.
The Bartolomeo platform was launched to the ISS in March 2020. Its versatile 'All-in-one Mission Service' provides end-to-end access for external payloads on the Station for many mission types at competitive prices. It offers an unobstructed view of Earth, direct control of the experiments from the ground via a high-speed data feed, and the possibility of retrieving samples.
Developing commercial capacity for future missions beyond LEO
ESA and the County of Cornwall in the UK have partnered up to redevelop part of Goonhilly Earth Station, an existing commercial station in Cornwall, UK, to enable it to provide Europe’s first deep-space tracking services on a commercial basis.
The Goonhilly project will be initially funded through a €9.5 million investment from the UK’s Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, a public–private regional economic development body, and will later include a smaller investment from ESA.
Under the project, a 32 m-diameter dish built in 1985 will be upgraded to provide fast data links for missions far beyond Earth – typically exceeding two million kilometres.
“Once the station upgrade work is complete, in about 24 months, Goonhilly will be able to complement ESA’s own stations, and provide deep-space tracking for the Agency’s missions as well as those of other space agencies or from private space start-ups aiming to exploit the Moon or mine asteroids,” notes Klaus-Jürgen Schulz, responsible for ESA ground station engineering.
Commercial Lunar Mission Support Services
In July 2020, ESA and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) signed a partnership agreement to develop the first Lunar communication and navigation service. The Commercial Lunar Mission Support Services (CLMSS) will deliver vital infrastructure to empower and sustain the future of Moon exploration and strategically position European capabilities. The launch of the Lunar Pathfinder spacecraft is envisaged for 2023.
Commercial research and application development
Business in Space Growth Network (BSGN)
ESA is promoting the development of a market for the commercial use of human-tended platforms in low Earth Orbit, thereby contributing to the emergence of and transition towards a sustainable LEO and lunar economy. The BSGN aims to lay the foundation for new space-enabled commercial activities leveraging LEO-based infrastructures and new exploration-related infrastructures to be built around and on the Moon.
The BSGN wants to identify, understand, and activate new user communities in an effort to probe non-space markets for their potential to deliver scalable space-enabled applications, services and products. To this end, the BSGN intends to launch a Digital Platform, Market-Stimulation Programme and permanently open Announcement of Opportunities in collaboration with ESA’s ARTES Integrated Applications Programme. Please see here for all open business opportunities related to the BSGN .
Upcoming events
There are no upcoming events. If you would like to suggest an event or are looking for a speaker to join your event, please contact bsgn@esa.int
Other useful information
Opportunities in ESA Telecommunications [ARTES] Feasibility & Demonstration. For access to the satellite-based infrastructure, please consult ESA Business Applications & Space Solutions
Exploration Partnerships:
Documents:
- ESA Space Exploration Strategy
- Benefits from space exploration
- International Space Station: Benefits for Europe
- ISECG Science White Paper
Past events:
- Research in space – business cases workshop
- Space4Inspiration
- Towards the use of lunar resources
- Innovation Exchange: Radioisotopes for Science, Exploration and Applications
- Innovation Exchange: Commercialise space research
- Deep Space Gateway and Lunar Exploration Industry Days
- R(e)volution in Space
- Space Exploration Masters
- Innovation Exchanges: Space meets health, Fuel the future (ISRU)
- Space for Inspiration
- Workshop ‘Partners for Space Exploration’
- Space Exploration Masters competition
