The concepts and ideas developed during the space resources training journey initiated only four years ago by the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), the European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC), and the International Space University (ISU) are happening now!
The Space Resources Professional Course SRPC23 provided the 32 participants from 11 countries, coming to Luxembourg from as far as Canada, Australia, USA, and Singapore, with a broad overview of the space resources field, the meaning, and implications of acronyms like SRU – Space Resources Utilization – or ISRU – In Situ Resource Utilization – and generally taught them that there is more to space resources than mining!
Trying to determine also if we can realize the promise of resources for expanding space exploration…
The focus of this fourth edition, held from 17 to 18 April 2023 at the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, included topics on not only how to identify and extract resources, but also about the value of the resource, and the importance of the customer – highlighting new aspects of this activity including commercial considerations, legal and policy issues, planetary protection, and environmental and ethical aspects.
Participants, divided into eleven teams put the latter in application by developing a space resource utilization plan to identify, extract, and use resources from space. In only a couple of hours, they came up with creative business ideas and demonstrated how best resources like lunar regolith or space debris can be utilized and what the business opportunities are – from inter-planetary deliveries of resources (ie the Amazon of space) to the utilization of metal to develop new habitats, “from Rust to Rest” presented by ISU alumna Xiao Chen Zhang, and more!
The curriculum was delivered by experts from four organizations:
Angel ABBUD MADRID – Director, Space Resources Program, Colorado School of Mines (CSM)
Melchiorre CONTI – Space Resources Engineer, European Space Agency (ESA ESTEC)
Dovilé MATULEVICIUTE – Legal Affairs, Luxembourg Space Agency LSA
Kathryn HADLER – Director, European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC)
Bob LAMBORAY – Policy Officer, Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA)
Beth LOMAX – Research Fellow – lunar in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) European Space Agency (ESA)
We thank all the speakers and partners for an outstanding fourth edition. We wish all participants successful career paths and successful new business lines for their employers.
As for us, CSM, ESRIC, and ISU, with the many current developments in this field, we are eager to compile the curriculum for the 2024 Space Resources Professional Course!
