Space is a cold and uninviting place. Just getting there is a major struggle and a great deal of time and money is spent making sure that the spacecraft and crew can cope with the rigours of the journey as well as the remoteness and severe demands of the harsh space environment.

The technologies and scenarios developed for European space missions are often ideal for operation in some of the most challenging working environments on Earth. Typically these are found in the industries that deal with locating and exploiting our Earth's natural resources, such as mining, quarrying, and oil and gas exploration – all vital to provide energy and power.

Space is also a source of solar energy which is used not only to power satellites but also to provide cheap efficient electricity for use on Earth.