ESA and Metalysis Organised the First Grand Challenge Midterm Workshop

ESA and Metalysis Organised the First Grand Challenge Midterm Workshop [Nov/2020]

On November 9 and 10, ESA together with Metalysis organised an online workshop part of the Grand Challenge launched last December. 

The Metalysis – ESA Grand Challenge worth €500 000 and sponsored by UK’s Metalysis, will reward new miniaturised technology that will improve and enhance the Metalysis patented electrolytic process capable to extract oxygen and titanium from regolith found on other planets.

In order to win the Grand Challenge first prize or one of midterm prizes sponsored by the UK metallurgic company Metalysis, the competing teams are requested to provide the Evaluation panel with two deliverables: 

At the end of Phase 1, a Project Report detailing the process to be implemented by the participants in order to develop the final Breadboard and its potential functioning;

At the end of Phase 2, the breadboard developed according to the requirements set forth in the Terms and Conditions and Final Project report based on the same structure as the one required for the Deliverable of Phase 1 including the user manual.

On November 9 and 10, ESA together with Metalysis organised an online workshop part of the Grand Challenge launched last December. 

The Metalysis – ESA Grand Challenge worth €500 000 and sponsored by UK’s Metalysis, will reward new miniaturised technology that will improve and enhance the Metalysis patented electrolytic process capable to extract oxygen and titanium from regolith found on other planets.

In order to win the Grand Challenge first prize or one of midterm prizes sponsored by the UK metallurgic company Metalysis, the competing teams are requested to provide the Evaluation panel with two deliverables: 

At the end of Phase 1, a Project Report detailing the process to be implemented by the participants in order to develop the final Breadboard and its potential functioning;

At the end of Phase 2, the breadboard developed according to the requirements set forth in the Terms and Conditions and Final Project report based on the same structure as the one required for the Deliverable of Phase 1 including the user manual.

Future Moon base

To accomplish Phase 1, the two Competing Teams had the chance to meet with the Evaluation Panel Members of the competition and with Metalysis, in order to better understand Metalysis technology and technical requirements. 

This Mid-term workshop was an opportunity for:

  • the competing teams to introduce themselves and ask all the questions they had at this stage of the competition
  • ESA to recall the framework of the Grand Challenge and the importance to foster initiatives like this Grand Challenge that may be contribute to the strategic roadmap of the In situ resources utilisation (ISRU) future developments.
  • Metalysis to present its processes and interact with the teams 


Focus on the competing teams

The first team is a company called MALT. The MALT team is an interdisciplinary group including scientist and engineers with a background in spectroscopic solutions for applications such as heritage, biomedicine or space applications. The team members have participated as part of Spanish public research institutes and universities in the development of Raman and LIBS spectrometers for space applications such as RLS for ESA ExoMars or SuperCam for NASA Mars 2020 missions. Now, the aim is to incorporate this state-of-the-art technology for space to the civil society by spinning off to industrial applications. The participation of the company in the ESA Grand Challenge is a unique opportunity to demonstrate how laser-based spectroscopic techniques can be reliably used for specific applications, while also serving as a catalyser for the consolidation of this relatively young group of professionals into a long-term and auto-sufficient European-based company.


The second company, San Jorge Tecnológicas is led by Maria Pilar Del Alamo. Its active team includes engineers, scientists and technicians enjoying research and development of mechanisms, sensors, prototypes and new challenging technology and attracts cooperation from the best research institutions along Europe. In the last years they have successfully developed R&D projects for ESA, the European Commission 7th Framework Programme and Horizon 2020, Airbus, , OHB DARPA among others. Particularly, among the several inventions developed by this team, there are non-contact sensors, magnetomechanisms, devices for extreme environments and test benches. More information is available at www.sanjorgetecnologicas.com and www.magsoar.com


Focus on the ESA Grand Challenge


The ESA Grand Challenge aims at stimulating the creation of innovative space startup in Europe, boosting entrepreneurship through an ex-post competitive process. The competition is divided into two phases:

·       Phase 1, which will potentially reward a team after the submission of a deliverable at the end of 2020. The Deliverable of Phase 1 is a Project Report detailing the process to be implemented by the Participants in order to develop the final Breadboard and its potential functioning.

·       Phase 2, which will be over at the end of 2022 and will reward the winner after the submission of the final breadboard.

In Spring 2021, ESA and Metalysis will announce the winner of the first phase.


Focus on Metalysis


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.


Metalysis has been recently awarded European Space Agency (ESA) funding for its project titled, “The Metalysis FFC Process for Extra-Terrestrial Oxygen Production from ISRU,” which forms part of ESA’s Space Resources Strategy and carried out under the General Support Technology Programme of, and funded by, the European Space Agency. More information at the following links:

Metalysis Website

ESA Webiste

The Guardian UK

The Times

BBC Radio


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