ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official UseESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

53rd Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium10 - 12 March 2015, Greenbelt, Maryland

ESA’S SPACE EXPLORATION STRATEGY

B. HUFENBACH, ESA DIRECTORATE FOR HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT AND OPERATIONSHEAD OF STRATEGIC PLANNING OFFICE

Slide 2ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

o ESA’s Space Exploration Strategy

o Considerations on ISECG/ GER

o Some concluding reflections

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Slide 3ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

• ESA-wide, developed with inputs from

Directorates for Human Spaceflight and

Operations, Science and Robotic

Exploration, Technology and Launchers

• Iterated throughout 2014 with ESA

Member States

• Basis for resolution adopted at ESA

Council meeting at Ministerial level in

December 2014

ESA EXPLORATION STRATEGY

Public version of resolution available athttp://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/corporate/Final_resolutions_1_2_3_from_CM_2014_Releasable_to_the_public.pdf

Slide 4ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

• For the benefit of society at large

• Structured around ESA’s Exploration Destinations

• Promotes human-robotic partnership

• Focuses investments with a view to exploiting synergies

• Implemented through engagement in international

missions of interest and long-term strategic partnerships

Sustained and user-driven exploitation of LEO

infrastructures

Participation in international Moon and Mars

sample return missions

Participation in human exploration

KEY ELEMENTS OF STRATEGY

Slide 5ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

WHY EXPLORE

FOR THE BENEFIT OF SOCIETY AT LARGE

SCIENCE

Strengthen European excellence in scientific research

ECONOMICS

Contribute to competitiveness and growth of European

industrial sector

COOPERATION

Establish global cooperative framework

INSPIRATION

Attract society to expand knowledge and capabilities, study of

natural sciences and engineering, value of global cooperation,

preparation of sustainable human presence in solar system

Slide 6ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

WHERE EXPLORE

• History of solar system

• Cosmic context of

understanding origin

of life on Earth

• Resources

• Stepping Stone

• User-driven research

and science

• Exploration

preparation

• Partnership with

private sector

• Search for life

• Planetary evolution

• In-dependence from

Earth

Slide 7ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

HOW TO EXPLORE

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Human

Transportation

• Global/ multi-lateral cooperation, building on ISS partnership and opening

perspectives for new partners

• Incremental long-term partnerships

• Partner of choice through demonstration of excellence in focus areas

• Robust cooperation through occupying critical path roles

EXAMPLES

Lunar robotic

Exploration

Slide 8ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

HOW TO EXPLORE

HUMAN-ROBOTIC PARTNERSHIP

• Human and robots as integral elements of mission

architecture

• Robotic mission as precursors for human missions

• Leverage on transportation infrastructure

developed for human exploration to accomplish

broader space exploration goals

Slide 9ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

MISSION ROADMAP

Slide 10ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

SYNERGIES

Slide 11ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

EUROPEAN CONTRIBUTIONS

ESA FOCUS AREAS

Habitation Transport & Navigation

Operations, including Astronauts

User-driven ResearchRobotics & Sample Acquisition, Return &

Handling

Slide 12ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

A common

• Vision

• Long-term plan for implementing the vision

• Approach for articulating the value

VALUE OF INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION

Slide 13ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For public release

• ESA is pursuing an independent strategic planning and is implementing

programmes through international cooperation

ESA’s strategy is fully consistent with the ISECG GER

• Significant efforts have been invested in strategic planning and

coordination throughout the last years

ESA’s strategy will guide future programmatic decisions

The GER provides a strong basis for implementing the next

common steps through bi and multi-lateral cooperation

• Next years open a significant opportunity to build upon the momentum and

prepare a smooth transition from ISS to post-ISS era

CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS

ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use

THANK YOU !