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ESA looks for companies to commercialise the International Space Station
8 September 2000
ESA has been asked by its Member States to set up an organisation to market the commercial use of the International Space Station (ISS). Astronauts will start to permanently man the ISS, which brings together technical and scientific teams from agencies and industries in the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan as well as ESA Member States, later this year.
International Space Station (ISS) is the largest space science and technology venture ever undertaken. Designed and constructed by technical and scientific teams from agencies and industries in the USA, Russia, Canada, Japan and the Member States of the ESA, the ISS will be permanently manned by astronauts, starting later this year.
| | ESA's Columbus laboratory | |
Europe's brightest 'star'
Already the ISS has two elements in space flying at a near-earth orbit 400 km above the earth. To the naked eye this appears as one of the brightest stars over Europe. Further elements will be added over the next two years until the space station is completed in 2004. By this date, Europe will have at its full disposal the unique research facilities of ISS with some utilisation beginning as early as 2002.
To generate funding from private sources, ESA has been requested by its Member States to promote the use of ISS by commercial users. As it is not within ESA’s mandate to sell directly to commercial markets, ESA intends to set up an organisation to market the commercial use of ISS. The potential market can be divided into: commercial research and development; and non-conventional or innovative utilisation.
Organisations interested in contributing to the commercialisation of the ISS are invited to respond to the ESA Calls of Interest for the two different spheres. The purpose of the Calls for Interest is to give all potentially interested parties a fair opportunity to stake their claims for the various roles in the ISS Commercial Development Organisation.
Further information can be found on ESA’s manned space homepage.
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| | Related links ISS (ESA pages)ISS status reports (NASA)ISS European participation ATV Mission Columbus Mission Information Kit (versione italiana)
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