What role does the European Space Resource Innovation Centre (Esric) play today within the space ecosystem?
Kathryn Hadler. – “Esric is the world’s first research and innovation centre entirely dedicated to space resources. Our mission is to become a world-class centre of excellence in the science, technology and economics of space resources. The combination of our research activities, our support for startups and our infrastructure makes us unique.
What sets Esric apart from more traditional space organisations?
“Esric does not fit into the traditional models of the space sector. We are neither a space agency nor an investor. Attached to the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (List) and supported by the ministry of the economy, our mission is to conduct research that is relevant to the sector, to develop infrastructures that can be used by the community – beyond our own researchers –, to support startups in a complex field and to play a role as a European reference centre for space resources.
Five years after its creation, how would you assess Esric’s trajectory?
“From the outset, Esric has rapidly established itself as a visible player in the space resources community, thanks in particular to structuring initiatives such as the annual Space Resources Week conference and the startup incubation programme run in conjunction with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Technoport. The development of our research capabilities and infrastructure has taken longer, but the past year has seen a clear acceleration in our scientific activities, supported by funding from the National Research Fund (FNR).
To date, we have supported 26 companies via our incubation programme and six via our accelerator. 
What major advances has Esric made since its launch?
“There are many achievements to be proud of; our research team flew one of our technologies on a lunar gravity parabolic flight last year, and we were also successful in applying to NASA to receive some tiny Apollo samples that have previously been processed by ESA and that we will carry out additional testing on. In November last year, which will house the DTVC. This equipment will be used by companies who want to test their technology in a lunar environment – under vacuum, in the presence of dust and with large temperature variations. We have supported 26 companies through our business incubation programme and 6 in our accelerator. Last but not least, we attract over 450 people to our annual Space Resources Week conference. We have made great progress in 5 years, but there is much more still to come.
Have SpaceX and Blue Origin permanently changed the nature of the space economy?
“SpaceX and Blue Origin have helped to shift the space sector from a model dominated by integrated public programmes to a service economy, in which private players develop their own capabilities and sell services to agencies. Nasa’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative is a concrete illustration of this: the agency no longer operates missions itself, but buys delivery services to the Moon, speeding up times, cutting costs and bringing about the emergence of a genuine commercial space market.
What lessons have you learned from supporting startups and entrepreneurs in space resources?
“One of the main lessons is the difficulty of building a business in a field where the market does not yet exist. Space resources remain a highly uncertain sector, which requires entrepreneurs to be highly adaptable. However, we have observed that some companies manage to develop by targeting dual markets, both terrestrial and space-based, or by relying on solid networks to structure their growth. Our programmes play a key role in creating these connections.
Space resources are often presented as a new El Dorado. When will this promise become credible?
“For decades, the idea of billionaires from asteroid mining has fuelled imaginations, but the reality is more complex. Today, there is neither a market for space resources nor a real market for the associated technologies. We don’t know when it will emerge, but we can develop the technologies and prepare the innovators. What makes the promise more credible in the short and medium term is the announced proliferation of lunar missions, many of which are focused on the search for water ice or other strategic resources, to the benefit of both planetary science and the space resource community.
One of the most exciting aspects of space resources for me is that it requires us to think differently about our resources and how we use them.
Do the technologies developed at Esric already have useful terrestrial applications?
“One of the most exciting aspects of space resources for me is that it requires us to think differently about our resources and how we use them. On Earth, we extract minerals, use some of the materials and treat the rest as waste. On the Moon, by contrast, every component counts: oxygen can support life, metals can be used to manufacture parts. This logic is pushing us towards a zero waste model. As part of the FNR Pearl research programme, devoted to the sustainable and responsible use of space resources, we are developing water-free mineral separation processes – whereas the terrestrial mining industry currently consumes considerable volumes of water – as well as advanced mapping and sampling technologies. These innovations are intended to be transposed to Earth, particularly in industrial sectors facing increasing resource and sustainability constraints.
How is Esric redefining its strategic priorities for the next five years?
“The organisation’s mission and strategy have remained the same since its creation, but the field of space resources has evolved rapidly. Over the last two years, the focus has shifted to locating, mapping and characterising lunar resources, as well as studying strategic resources such as helium-3. This trend is in line with European guidelines, in particular the European Space Agency’s Explore2040 strategy. In this context, Esric is adjusting its priorities by stepping up its work in these areas, while continuing to develop technologies dedicated to the exploitation of space resources, mainly lunar, in the service of long-duration space missions.”