Space Exploration Masters competition is highlighted at the ILA Berlin air show

Contest participants are challenged to identify sustainable concepts for space travel and off-world habitation

For Airbus’ robust presence at this week’s ILA Berlin air show, the strong tie-in to its space-related activities extends to new horizons with a focus on planetary exploration and the creation of life-sustaining environments far from planet Earth.

In partnership with industry-leading companies Air Liquide and Merck KGaA, Airbus is a sponsor of the Space Exploration Masters – a contest to identify technological and business concepts for space travel and logistics, including orbital or planetary fueling capabilities, as well as farming to provide food, water and air purification at remote destinations. Just as on Earth, resource sustainability is the key to long-term survival in space, with sustainable energy storage and recovery processes being crucial to enable long journeys and human habitats upon arrival.

Space-exploration-masters-contest

Space Exploration Masters contest participants are to be judged on a mixture of their proposal’s level of innovation and viability, taking into account technological feasibility and risks.

Prizes include travel to the awards ceremony at the Space for Inspiration conference at Bilbao, Spain (in October 2018), the ability to receive technology and business support in fine-tuning the proposal pitches, and the opportunity to present the winning idea to venture capitalists at the Moon Economic Forum in Luxembourg (November 2018).

ESA´s BepiColombo takes to the Air

The first elements of the BepiColombo hardware were loaded into an Antonov An-124 cargo plane

Airbus-built Mercury-Mission is on its way to Kourou Launch Base

Amsterdam, 23/04/2018 - After years of development the BepiColombo spacecraft which will be heading to Mercury from autumn 2018 has at last taken to the air. On 23 April 2018 the first elements of the BepiColombo hardware were loaded into an Antonov An-124 cargo plane for transport from Amsterdam´s Schiphol Airport to the European Spaceport Kourou in French Guiana. After a fuelling stop in the Azores Islands the Antonov will arrive early on 24 April. This Antonov flight was the first of four flights needed to transport the spacecraft and all handling and test equipment to Kourou. The flights are supported by three transports by ship for further items.

Having completed a comprehensive test programme at European Space Agency´s Technology Centre ESTEC in Noordwijk (The Netherlands) the BepiColombo spacecraft is almost ready for launch. Between May and October 2018 the final launch preparations will be performed so that the spacecraft can then be launched aboard an Ariane 5 ECA.

BepiColombo is Europe's first mission to Mercury. It will set off in autumn 2018 (launch window is open from 5 October to 29 November) on a journey to the smallest and least explored terrestrial planet in our Solar System. When it arrives at Mercury in late 2025, it will endure temperatures in excess of 350 °C and gather data during its one year nominal mission, with a possible 1-year extension.

BepiColombo is an interdisciplinary mission performed in a partnership between ESA (European Space Agency) and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). The BepiColombo mission involves the delivery of the MPO (Mercury Planetary Orbiter) and the MMO (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter) to complementary orbits around the planet Mercury. JAXA provides the MMO, whilst Airbus is prime contractor for ESA, providing the MPO and all other spacecraft hardware. The scientific payload is provided by national agencies.