Working Group Topic 1 – Space Applications for Europe

Description: Space applications have been an integral part of Europe’s societal and economic development for several decades. From helping fight climate change, to supporting scientific research on Earth, they represent great assets towards solving problems on the ground.

This working group will consider how space applications can help Europe meet its latest challenges. Through debates and conversations around the topics of Climate change, health management and Europe space sustainability in the global market, the delegates will have the opportunity to propose concrete recommendations on the current and future Europe’s sovereignty in the field of space applications.

Questions: 

  1. How to moderate the European industries’ impact on global warming thanks to space?
    • What are the most polluting industries in Europe and what are the existing solutions that space facilities provide today
    • Which space resources can be gathered to help monitoring this impact, as well as acting on it?
  2. How can space telecommunication or other space technologies improve health access (or allow better healthcare in general)?
    • State of the arts of existing space use in health management
    • Example of Covid19 pandemic: How did space play a role in its management? Can we prevent another pandemic thanks to space? What should have been done, now that we know (a bit) more about the Virus than 2 years ago?
    • How can we improve the access to drugs, medicines, medical supply or even hospital and health infrastructures thanks to space facilities?
  3. How can space applications safeguard Europe’s digital sovereignty in the upcoming era of universal space-based connectivity?
    • What made Europe one of the best actors in the world in terms of space applications?
    • What sectors are missing synergies with space and could benefit (more) from space applications?

Working Group Topic 2 – Space Safety and Sustainability

Description: Future access to space is threatened by challenges including space debris and the rapid growth in numbers of satellites in orbit.
Failing to act decisively to solve these issues could render space inoperable in the long term. Some solutions, such as better space surveillance and tracking, a system for space traffic management, or active debris removal, are being proposed to mitigate this risk.

Sponsored by the ESA Space Debris Office and Clean Space initiative, this working group will consider how Europe can take a leading role in promoting the safe and sustainable use of space and how new space generations can coordinate and motivate a sustainable space model for the future.

Questions: 

  1. What kind of guidelines or mechanisms could be used to coordinate future satellite conjunctions in space?
  2. How can we incentivise the implementation of space sustainability mechanisms in different countries?
  3. What is needed to enable a sustainable circular space economy?

Working Group Topic 3 – Commercial Space in Europe

Description: Commercial uses of space are driving new developments worldwide. There are regional concerns that the rapid growth of space start-ups abroad, such as in the United States, may pose a future threat to strong European areas, for example the launch services. Following these developments, ESA has recently moved to promote New Space innovation in Europe, creating in November 2021 a new ESA directorate for commercialisation, industrial policy, and procurement.

This working group will discuss the challenges and opportunities for European innovation and sector capture, including launch services, access to space, and emerging capabilities for in-orbit service and manufacture. By reviewing existing European capabilities, delegates will identify market gaps in the new and emerging space sectors. Funding opportunities and potential avenues for the private sector via the use of platforms such as the ESA BIC network will also be explored.

Questions:

  1. In what ways Europe and ESA member states are positioned to capitalise on the commercialisation of space? How can the European space industry best work closely with national space agencies to establish policies and frameworks for the private sector to work within?
  2. How should the commercialisation of space be balanced with sustainability and ensuring space remains a safe environment?
  3. Is there a sufficiently skilled workforce to meet with the increasing demands of a commercialised space? How can we ensure Europe is positioned to meet future demands?

Working Group Topic 4 – Space Exploration: Emerging Applications in Europe

Description: Emerging capabilities present new opportunities. A global return to the moon offers new prospects for space in Europe. In the meantime, on 1 March 2021, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher took office and presented Agenda 2025. ESA worked together with the Member States on defining the Agenda, the main goal of which is to put ESA on track for becoming one of the top space agencies in the world. Can ESA have a leading position in emerging applications? As one of the examples, Luxembourg has recently passed laws enabling in-situ resource utilization in its national space policy, setting a pioneering example ahead of other states in Europe.

As part of this working group discussions, we are going to look into the details of European vision in regards with emerging applications.

Questions:

  1. How can Europe achieve independent access to space? What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for Europe in space exploration in regards with emerging applications?
  2. What are the strategies for dealing with potential challenges, threats and legal implications? What are the international collaboration possibilities for ESA and frameworks that would accompany them?
  3. What new questions and goals can be tackled with this sector after the year 2025?