Awarding the right stuff

Europe’s first space exploration competition took off at the Paris Air & Space Show yesterday in a search for novel approaches to push our boundaries beyond Earth orbit and bring benefits to our planet.  

The Space Exploration Masters allows entrepreneurs and space geeks to become part of Europe’s space exploration effort with their business ideas.

“I am one of those who has the dream to live on the Moon,” emphasises Thorsten Rudolph, managing director of AZO, one of the driving forces launching the contest.

“Together we can shape our future in space with ground-breaking ideas and make life on Earth even better.” 

Awards for the right stuff

ESA and its partners are looking for submissions in areas such as human and robotic missions, resources, rockets, space tourism, deep-space communication and space habitats.

Prizes are worth more than €500 000 in two prize categories: technology transfer success, and new business innovation. 

Space partners

The competition provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to collaborate with partners in the international space industry.

ESA is especially interested in proposals with a tangible business performance in matching at least one of the UN sustainable development goals.

Other partners sponsoring prizes are the Ministry of the Economy of Luxembourg, Airbus, Merck KGaA, the Scottish company Stevenson Astrosat Ltd and Huntsville Madison County Chamber.

Participants from all kinds of backgrounds are welcome to apply, including entrepreneurs, researchers and patent holders.

Act fast: submissions are welcome until 8 September via the Space Exploration Masters website.