Blog

ESRE AMONG CONSULTED KEY STAKEHOLDERS ON THE FUTURE EU SPACE LAW

by rox in Media

16 January 2024 – ESRE was invited to give its standpoints during a workshop organized by the DG-DEFIS of the European Commission to address the tentative space law. Such workshop was primarily intended to inform EU Member States on the state of play of the law and its possible consequences on the space industry.

Headed by the DG-DEFIS head of unit B2 on innovation and new space, the meeting also gave space to non-State actors such as the industry, SMEs, start-ups and research establishments. As for research, Laurent Leylekian (ONERA) represented the Association of European Space Research Establishment. He detailed some of the “ESRE recommendations for a possible EU Regulatory Framework on Space Safety, Sustainability and Security 2023”, particularly advocating for law provisions that would not prevent research in space and that would therefore not be detrimental on the long run for the scientific and technological leadership of the EU.

“We are very proud to be consulted by the European commission on such key issues. It really testifies how serious is the EU to engage inclusive consultations for eventually reaching a balance regulatory framework”, said the chair of ESRE Antonio Blandini (CIRA). “Space should not become a kind of Far West if we want to keep it useful for our citizens, profitable for our industries and exploitable for the advancement of knowledge”, concluded Blandini.

ESRE is fully committed to a comprehensive dialogue with the European institutions on the space law and on all other space-related issues.

Read More

ESRE meets the space leaders in Europe at the 16th European Space Conference to help shaping Europe’s future

by rox in Media

On 23-24 January 2024, the 16th European Space Conference, held in Brussels, has gathered as usual high-level decision makers from across EU institutions and Member States, the European Space Agency, national agencies, representatives of the industry, defense and research domain.

At the start of a fundamental year for space and Europe, both by the geo-political and the technological point of view, emphasis was given to several topics, including the current European space access capability crisis, the upcoming EU Space Law, the next Exploration Programmes.

In this context, ESRE Chair Prof. A. Blandini, CIRA President, was invited to speak about the topic “The Future of European Space Exploration: Geopolitical and socioeconomic perspectives of European Human Space Flight and Robotic exploration” with other distinguished panelist, among them the ESA Astronaut S. Cristoforetti, the ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration Mr. D. Neuenschwander, and topical figures of main private stakeholders.
During the discussion panel, Mr. A. Blandini forwarded ESRE key message of a need for Europe tohave a main Space Exploration Programme “under the flag” of Europe, to inspire youngsters to engage in the European space sector, including and especially in space science, but also to foster the whole European technological value chain, from Academia to Industries, going through Research Organizations, SMEs and start-ups, allowing Europe to gain technological sovereignty and to achieve technological and geo-political non-dependence in exploration, and particularly in human space flight.

During the discussion, Mr. Blandini was also highlighting that cooperative approach ESRE is now following to develop technologies in the space exploration domain, among those miniature instruments for in-situ planetary exploration, in situ Resource Utilization -ISRU- technologies, innovative dust mitigation techniques and materials, radiation shielding innovative materials for human space flight.

More information and the whole discussion may be found on https://spaceconference.eu/

Read More

ESRE at the 15th European Space Conference

by rox in Media

On 24-25 January 2023, the 15th European Space Conference, held in Brussels, has gathered high-level decision makers from across EU institutions and Member States, the European Space Agency, representatives of the industry, research domain and civil society to discuss on the theme “Securing the Future of Europe in Space”.

In this context, ESRE Chair Prof. A. Blandini, current CIRA President, was invited to speak about the topic “Space Traffic Management for a safe, secure and sustainable outer space”.
During the discussion panel, Mr. A. Blandini recalled that Research Establishments represent the right place to develop technologies and to propose breakthrough solutions in answer to technological challenges, also thanks to their available testing capabilities to validate new solutions.

Furthermore, he was also highlighting that ESRE, being an association of non-profit and governmental RTOs, may play a role of neutral technical expert for assessing the risks, solutions and possibly regulatory framework of Space Traffic Management.

Read More

ESRE-DGDEFIS workshop on “Space challenges for the EU”

by rox in Media

On June 30, 2023, in Brussels, the Association of European Space Research Establishments (ESRE), met the European Commission to discuss on future “Space challenges for the EU”.

The Commission was represented by Mr. Cristoph Kautz, Deputy Director of Unit B “Innovation & Outreach” of the General Directorate for Defence, Industry & Space (DG DEFIS), accompanied by Mr. Guillaume De La Brosse, DGDEFIS-B2 Unit, Head and several key officers.

The meeting, as a follow up of a workshop previously held in 2022, gathered almost twenty ESRE and Commission members, among whom CEOs of all the ESRE RTOs.

Further to an introduction of ESRE by CIRA President and ESRE Chair, Prof. Antonio Blandini, DG DEFIS detailed its policies and priorities, along with long terms strategies, addressing the issues related to IRIS2, New Space, Space Situational Awareness and Space Traffic Management, the synergies between space and defence, and the new Strategy for EU Space R&I.

In each of this topic, DG DEFIS remarked the still unvaluable role played by the research and Research Organizations.

This statement was very well welcome by ESRE, which introduced to the Commission its recommendations for a successful implementation of the strategies, claiming for more IOD/IOV missions and related flight opportunities for science and research, highlighting the need to focus on the development of technologies in support of Space Sustainability and raising the attention on the role of test infrastructures as a strategic asset in support of SMEs, start-ups and new comers.

ESRE also offered its availability to provide unbiased, technical hints, thanks to its nature of not-for profit association made of the main European public space research organizations

​DG DEFIS hailed the ESRE initiative for the workshop, and invited ESRE to keep on providing recommendations to the Commission.

ESRE and DGDEFIS already planned a third workshop in 2024.

Read More

ESRE landmark workshop on “space challenges for the EU”

by rox in Media

Brussels, 3 June 2022 – the Association of European Space Research Establishments (ESRE) currently chaired by ONERA organized a landmark workshop with the European Commission on “space challenges for the EU”. The Commission was represented by Mrs Catherine Kavvada, Director of Unit B “Innovation & Outreach” of the General Directorate for Defence, Industry & Space (DG DEFIS) accompanied by several key officers.

After the long COVID-induced travel ban period, this first face-to-face meeting aimed at updating mutual understanding on key areas for possible contributions by ESRE to the EC space priorities.

Further to an introduction of ESRE by President Bruno Sainjon, DG DEFIS detailed its top-level priorities i.e., the New Space, Secured Communications, including quantum technologies, and Space Traffic Management/ Space Situational Awareness (STM/SSA). Director Kavvada made clear that research is key for nurturing the whole value chain and that space research activities must meet the policy objectives that are competitiveness of the EU industry and fulfilment of EU citizens’ societal needs.

ESRE and DG DEFIS also addressed the forthcoming EU partnership for “Global Competitive Space Systems” to which ESRE is being partner.

DG DEFIS hailed the ESRE initiative for the workshop and called upon some follow-ups at dedicated technical levels. Director Kavvada emphasized that deepening dynamic collaborations between agencies, Research & Technology Organizations (RTOs), Prime industries, SMEs and academia is eagerly needed to make Europe “the best in space”.

The workshop gathered a dozen of ESRE and Commission members, among whom CEOs of three ESRE RTOs.

Read More

Chair of ESRE Bruno Sainjon, CEO of ONERA

by rox in Media

Brussels, 26 January 2022 – As chair of ESRE Bruno Sainjon, CEO of ONERA, advocated for ESRE’s role in promoting science and upstream research for the sake of EU competitiveness during the ESC 2022 conference.

Read More