For today’s scientists and engineers, it can shape the development of new technologies – and of course– many of those ideas and innovations eventually translate into the everyday tech we use in our homes and workplaces.

Top UK showcase for this industry is Space-Comm, which held its annual expo at London’s Excel in March this year.

Among the fascinating presentations were contributions from Sir Richard Branson, who has long been a British space pioneer, and TV personality (fellow Northerner and British physicist) Professor Brian Cox. A keynote address came from CEO of the UK Space Agency Dr Paul Bate – who highlighted the organisation’s pivotal role in driving innovation across the entire space economy and its transformation journey to meet the challenges of the future. His message was, with the space economy growing so quickly and becoming increasingly visible, success will be determined not by what the approach of the past has been, but by the choices made now…

Another speaker was ESA Director General Dr Joseph Ashbacher, representing the ESA Commercialisation Gateway, whose ‘Moonlight’ project is populating the moons orbit with satellites for communications and navigation – essential infrastructure that will pave the way for a lunar economy, including occupancy by humans.

A ‘galactic’ future for space industries

Looking back on achievements over the past 12 months, the ESA has quantified some aspects of its contribution to the European economy including €22 billion to GDP and €6 billion in taxes, to say nothing of supporting around 260,000 of job ‘years’.

Space technologies are only projected to grow as they support many of the critical infrastructures in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - the international body with 38 member countries including many of the world's most developed and democratic nations. These infrastructures include transport, energy, food supply, health, defence and public safety – as well as looking at ways to contribute to challenges like climate change.

ESA itself is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. In particular, it is committed to ensuring that those who invest in space related technologies also benefit from the opportunities that subsequently arise.

It has 22 Member States which still includes the United Kingdom because it is an independent organisation, not affected by our leaving the European Union. 

Don’t let ‘cosmic dust’ destroy your assembly

ESA is committed to providing the Moonlight system for international use with partners – and underpinning many of its potential programmes - and the products that will enable them - is cleanroom technology.

Equipment in space has to have a level of reliability we often only dream about here on earth: electrics must be ‘right first time’ as there is no option for servicing or repairs once they are in orbit or indeed, on the surface of the moon.

Particles cannot be allowed to get into equipment structures while under construction: they can impact microchips and other technologies - and even stop them working all together.

And in today’s world, that can be life threatening – even back here on earth where communication and connectivity is so fundamental to those critical infrastructures referenced earlier - transport, energy, food supply, health, defence and public safety.