Credit: SIP / Emmanuel Claude
On Tuesday, Airbus Defense & Space, Air Liquide and ispace Europe jointly launched EURO2MOON, a Luxembourg-based non-profit organisation aimed at promoting a better use of natural lunar resources.
The launch took place at the 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Dubai, in the presence of Luxembourg's economic delegation led by the Minister of the Economy, Franz Fayot.
Bringing in complementary expertise from public and private partners, EURO2MOON will focus on topics related to the exploration of the lunar surface and the utilisation of its resources in a commercial and sustainable way. The objective is to create a platform of exchange in order to build a common vision and promote it among the European industrial and institutional ecosystems, including recommendations on global roadmaps, demonstration concepts and commercial programmes. Topics to be addressed include long duration transport, life support, energy needs for scientific and commercial applications.
EURO2MOON aims to position the European industry as a leading actor of the rising lunar economy, creating a strong industrial ecosystem based on an ambitious in-situ resources utilisation (ISRU) vision.
The organisation is open to industrial partners as well as research organisations interested in the development of technologies or services that can benefit lunar resources management. Any company which has their headquarters or key activities in the European Union (EU) or a member state of the European Space Agency (ESA) is eligible to join.
The Luxembourg-based European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC) has become the first non-founding member of the EURO2MOON organisation, and Jean Jacques Dordain, former ESA Director General (2003-2015), has become the first honorary member.
