Kick off of Metalysis – ESA Grand Challenge: the Race to Mine Space [Dec/2019]
On 11 December, during the Global Space Economic Forum, ESA together with Metalysis officially kicked off the first ESA Grand Challenge.
Metalysis’ CEO, Ray Power announced the competition on during the event. The competing teams – jointly selected by ESA and Metalyis – will start to work on the challenge to win the half-million EUR purse.
As ESA and other agencies prepare to send humans back to the Moon – this time to stay – technologies that make use of materials available in space (in-situ resource utilisation) are seen as key to sustainability, and a stepping stone in humankind's adventure to Mars and farther into the Solar System.
ESA is encouraging European industry to invest in the development of optimised technologies and systems that support future space exploration, the added benefit being that these ideas can also address sustainability and scarcity of resources on Earth.
Key sectors include metallurgy, chemical processing, mining, as well as oil and gas industry. In the longer term, resources in space may even be used on Earth.
The ESA Grand Challenge is part of the Agency’s Space 4.0 commitment to competitions that create new European entrepreneurs, innovation-led start-ups and new ventures.
Metalysis in South Yorkshire, has spent more than a decade developing and scaling up its electrochemical technology; a process that converts refined oxides and ores directly into valuable metal alloy powders used in 3D printing for aerospace, automotive and high-value manufacturing.
The competitors are devising process-monitoring systems that will work with the Metalysis electrochemical cells in space, support sustainable operations and long-term planetary settlements.
The requirements of the Metalysis–ESA Grand Challenge are available here.
More articles of the category: Space Economy Articles
OECD’s approach to space sustainability and the economics of...
ESA announces winners of the Global Space Markets Challenge
G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting 2021
SPAC and the Space Industry
Global Space Markets Challenge: Longlists announced
Top 12 companies selected in Global Space Markets Challenge
The Size & Health of the UK Space industry in 2019
Global Space Markets Challenge Competition
Copernicus Sentinel data supporting the pulp and paper indus...
Entrepreneurship and private investment trends in the Europe...
Metalysis–ESA Grand Challenge: team Malt wins first phase
China’s Space Sector: Commercialisation with Chinese Charact...
Space Architecture: Economic impacts, future developments an...
ESA_Lab@UCLan: Assessing the public value of ESA programmes
ESA_Lab@Kozminski: A new bird in the nest of ESA_Lab
Call for participants: OECD's initiative on the value and su...
Financing SMEs: options for SMEs and Midcaps in Europe
The socio-economic value of satellite Earth observations: hu...
Copernicus Sentinel Data supporting wine making in France
ESA_Lab@PoliBa: De’ remi facemmo ali
OECD's analysis of the impacts of Covid-19 on the Space indu...
OECD’s analysis of the impacts of Covid-19 on the space indu...
The day after tomorrow: Post-crisis scenarios for the space...
Resilience of the space sector to the Covid-19 crisis
Financing space: options for SMEs and midcaps in Europe
Discussing impact assessment of Big Science projects during...
ESA and Metalysis Organised the First Grand Challenge Midter...
Why it is important to keep investing in space during and af...
The benefits of Copernicus’ Sentinel data to society, enviro...
A closer look at the European Commission’s Guide to Cost-Ben...
Value created by ESA's Space Systems for Safety and Security...
Join the First Online Global Space Economic Workshop
Join the Third Online Global Space Economic Workshop
Join the Second Online Global Space Economic Workshop
Watch again the GSEW Online
A closer look at OECD’s methodology for assessing the scient...
Non-space business? We want to hear from you
Discussing solutions at the Global Space Economic Workshop
A closer look at the latest Earth Observation Services Indus...
The Covid Crisis: for European SMEs, this could be a breakth...
Value created by ESA's Clean Space Initiative
Value created by ESA's Ground Systems Engineering and Operat...
Value created by ESA Science Programme
Value created by ESA's Future Earth Observation Pillar
Value created by ESA Telecommunication Partnership Projects
ESA and Metalysis decide to suspend temporarily the Grand Ch...
Two Teams Competing for a Half-million Prize
Watch again the GSEF 19
Interview with Eric Morel de Westgaver on Europe's space eco...
Global Space Economic Forum: Space Creates Value
ESA at the New Space Economy European Expoforum
ESA Grand Challenge rewards solutions to complex problems
Advancing the understanding and measurement of the societal...
ESA Space Economy Brochure
The socio-economic impact of space activities
ESA at the New Space Economy European Expoforum
Space cybersecurity for smart cities
Setting the stage
Compete in a lunar economy
Last chance to join the competition
Interview with Giulia Pastorella on cybersecurity
Interview with Guglielmo Baeli on the oil and gas sector
Interview with Vincent Bastide on construction
Global Space Economic Workshop
Global Space Economic Workshop
Building cybersecurity at the Global Space Economic Workshop
ESA announces first Global Space Economic Forum
Welcome to the Global Space Economic Workshop
ESA Global Space Economic Forum
What is the Space Economy?
Measuring the Space Economy
Creating value
Challenges of future urban settlements on the Moon and Mars
Building and powering by disruptive innovation
Space workshops to power urban innovation
ESA at Station F: looking for applications to the first Gran...
Game changers for the ESA Grand Challenge
The Moon Race: Pioneering Sustainable Lunar Exploration
Metalysis–ESA Grand Challenge launched
A community of innovation at the Farnborough Airshow and ESA
Join us at Le Bourget to discuss space for commercial purpos...
Fuel the future by joining the Innovation Exchange