As nations and corporations around the world compete to reap the benefits of commercial space exploration, the whole space industry becomes more reliant on the unified efforts of all players, both public and private.
The European Space Agency is a great example of how the combined endeavours of many nations and organisations are making space colonisation, extraction of valuable materials, and scientific exploration an ever-closer reality.
The Role of Modern Space Agencies
China, Japan, the US, Russia, and several European countries have space agencies and space programs that contribute to global space exploration. There are also privately owned organisations such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and other smaller players, mostly concentrated in the US and Western Europe. All of these actors are driving us closer to a New Space era by inventing revolutionary rockets, creating the blueprints for colonising planets, and mapping out the sustainable and efficient development of the space industry for maximum value.
Among other space industry players, the European Space Agency (ESA) aims to be the driving force of the European space business by uniting the efforts of European countries and ensuring that investments in space result in positive developments for Europeans in particular and for humanity as a whole. Though we are already able to send people and payloads to and from space, we are still looking for more cost-effective solutions. With the emergence of new space actors all around the globe, the ESA is taking the following initiatives to empower the private and public space sectors in Europe:
- Strengthening national space sectors by providing infrastructure, funding, and human resources for space development programs
- Empowering the private sector and attracting foreign investors. The ESA is attracting foreign businesses and working to get the private sector to participate in the international space effort.
- Formulating a broad vision of the New Space age. Along with executing complex space missions, the ESA provides a long-term vision for the future of space exploration.
- Developing a regulatory framework. The ESA advises governments on regulations that would act as strategic tools to boost the private space sector and defend its interests.
- Leading strategic activities. The ESA doesn’t compete with other participants but leads them in the right direction and fosters their development.
Additionally, the ESA pursues several essential goals that are critical for the future of space exploration and humankind. These initiatives are designed to strengthen humanity’s presence in space, secure space as a zone of collaboration among nations, and protect humanity from extra-terrestrial threats, such as asteroids.
European Space Agency – A Union for European Space
The ESA’s efforts to strengthen European space capabilities and boost investment in the space sector are a huge factor in unifying many national space programs. Countries like the UK and Germany have been actively pursuing their place in the future space market by investing in rocket engine development startups and building new launch and landing sites. These initiatives have already given a huge lift to the industry’s private sector through corporations.
The ESA is trying to be a mediator of international cooperation in the space sector. Such cooperation is based on the principle of geo-return, which postulates that any ESA member, whether a state or private contributor, would get a fair return for their input. The ESA aims to be as equitable as possible, providing every member with a fair chance to give their input and get a corresponding return on investment. The agency has become a unique entity that functions as a tool to help European nations achieve their space ambitions together.
European Space Agency: Solving Tasks in the New Age
Besides unifying national space programs and private actors, the ESA solves a multitude of issues related to space exploration and sustainability.
- Removal of space debris
Currently, there is lots of anthropogenic debris orbiting the Earth, and with a dense enough layer of space junk, we might not even be able to leave our planet in the near future. For that reason, the ESA has launched the world’s first debris removal mission along with the Swiss Clear Space startup.
- Detection of celestial objects
The agency is also developing the Flyeye telescope to detect Earth-threatening celestial objects such as asteroids and comets. The telescope is reportedly the first part of a future network being developed to completely scan the sky, automatically identifying possible new near-Earth objects, or NEOs for short. Results will be checked manually by a human operator to be sure they are indeed real detections.
- Promotion of commercial initiatives
The Commercial Space Transportation Services and Support programme is aimed at developing cost-effective ways to get people and payloads to space and back again. The programme also supports member states in achieving their space transportation objectives, building spaceports and rockets, and testing their equipment in specialised facilities. This year, several companies received support from this programme, including the German HyImpulse Technologies, Isar Aerospace Technologies, and Rocket Factory Augsburg (together with its Portugal subsidiary RFA Portugal) as well as the British D-Orbit, Orbital Launch Express (Orbex), and Skyrora.
All of these initiatives are vital for the New Space age. Cheaper space flights will make the launch market more commercially viable, and thus more attractive for investors. Removing debris from space is critical to secure the possibility of space travel in the future. Asteroid detection is also essential for securing life on Earth. At the same time, space technologies aren’t merely created for the sake of space.
Many space technologies are an inseparable part of humanity’s everyday activities. Among them, Earth observation programs help us understand our planet better, eliminate the illegal use of resources, prevent climate change, and give invaluable intelligence in areas of political and military interest. It goes without saying that the space sector offers vast commercial opportunities, particularly in the fields of telecommunications and navigation. With the growing demand for connectivity and technologies for precise location identification, the telecommunications and navigation fields will observe immense growth and expansion, offering exciting opportunities to businesses (in terms of increased profits) and people (in terms of higher quality of services).
Final Thoughts
Space can hardly be separated from everyday life, and it is getting closer and more attractive with every passing year. It feels like we are standing at the doorstep of an exciting new era in space exploration. Thanks to the fruitful cooperation of numerous organisations, we have a chance to make space sustainable for all humankind. Space agencies unite countries with a mission to ensure that all of humanity can continue to use outer space for peaceful purposes and socioeconomic benefit now and in the long term. This will require international cooperation, discussion, and agreements designed to ensure that outer space is safe, secure, and peaceful.
