Space technology goes down to Earth to support mining   RST Radar Systemtechnik AG (RST) used a ground-penetrating radar system, originally developed for ESA for planetary rover applications, to develop CRIS, a system for underground tunnels. CRIS can detect small aperture discontinuities (cracks) near the excavation surfaces, principally in walls and roofs of mineshafts, as shown in this photo taken in a Canadian mine.   "ESA's Technology Transfer Programme has led to many uses of space technology in everyday life on Earth," said Head of ESA's Technology Transfer and Promotion Office, Pierre Brisson, at the workshop - Space Technology and the Mining & Minerals Processing Industry - Down to Earth, 26 November 2003   Surface strip mine   Head of Robotics and Automation Section in ESA, Gianfranco Visentin, presents space robotics developments for planetary missions at the workshop "Space Technology and the Mining & Minerals Processing Industry - Down to Earth", 26 November 2003   Mining conveyor belt   The German company Astro- und Feinwerktechnik Adlershof GmbH has produced new transmitters for Herrenknecht AG mounted on their tunnel boring machine seen above. Every second the transmitters send sound waves into the ground, microphones receive the reflecting signals which are data processed and can visualise important geological changes up to 40 m in front of the rotary shear blade. These innovative transmitters have been developed using the expertise Astro gained during their work for ESA on the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft. Release date: 5 October 2007