Mission-driven research
ESRIC pursues practical goals, connecting innovative new businesses and technologies with world-class research and development. By being at the centre of the European space resources ecosystem, ESRIC draws together excellence from public research and its facilities with private sector initiative and efficiency.
Though ESRIC is dedicated to the field of space resources, its mission-driven approach considers terrestrial as well as in-space applications.
At its core, ESRIC provides access to unique research facilities and expertise, enabling ground-based R&D around prospecting, extracting, processing, storing, supplying and using space resources.
ESRIC is implemented as a new department of the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology in Belvaux, Luxembourg, giving it access to first class laboratory facilities from day one.
A range of dedicated labs and testing facilities are being constructed. These include a Dirty Thermal Vacuum Chamber and several demonstrators for the processing of regolith to produce oxygen on the Moon, all of which are scheduled for completion later this year. In the longer term, further facilities will be added depending on the evolution of ESRIC’s research activities.
Supporting an in-space economy
Our goal is a future where commercial space enterprises are contributing to the human expansion into the solar system, prospecting celestial bodies for useful resources and looking to the Moon as a forward operations base.
To achieve this, we must support and encourage today’s pioneering space entrepreneurs and accelerate technical developments.
We support commercial initiatives and start-ups, enabling technology transferbetween space and non-space industries.
Community and Knowledge
Dialogue and information exchange within the space resources community helps to ensure that news of new and exciting opportunities reaches the right people at the right time.
This open channel of communication promotes public and private investment in space resources and related activities. It also encourages joint initiatives and seeds new projects.
Events such as Space Resource Week, combined with initiatives such as innovation challenges, will help to motivate the community as it grows and diversifies.