Getting to the moon with the first ESA-ESRIC Space Resources Challenge

Taking a look back at the success stories of 2022, the space department (ESRIC) of the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology developed the first Space Resources Challenge in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA).

Space resources are a key element in further space exploration. Identifying resources of interest, such as water, is also an essential part of the journey. In collaboration with ESA, we developed the first ESA-ESRIC Space Resources Challenge. This competition, which aims to drive innovation, was open to teams from all ESA Member States with the prize of a contract to develop the presented technology.

A first round of the competition was held in the Netherlands in 2021 and was used to select five teams for the final held at Rockhal in September 2022. For this occasion, Rockhal was transformed into a temporary lunar surface, with "lunar" dust, craters and a landing craft. The five teams competed throughout the week to map an area of the "Moon". On the last day, the site was opened to industry, guests and schoolchildren who had participated in a prize draw. At the end of the challenge, the winning team signed a partnership agreement with ESA and is now continuing to develop its technology related to the moon.

Discover more success stories in the digital version of the LIST 2022 annual report.