Throwback on 20 years in space for one of Europe's smallest countries
Government leaders, space industry executives, ESA representatives, researchers, and engineers gathered for an extraordinary double anniversary last Thursday 5th of June at Kinepolis Kirchberg: Luxembourg's 20 years in the European Space Agency (ESA) and ESA's own 50th birthday! The event not only celebrated Luxembourg’s remarkable journey into a recognized center for European space innovation but also demonstrated it with the presentation of TENACIOUS micro-rover, designed and built in Luxembourg by ispace EUROPE.
Over the past decade, Luxembourg's space ecosystem went from just 16 companies employing around 600 people in 2012 to 80 space-related companies with a workforce of approximately 1,650 people by 2024 – An outstanding growth resulting from strong government support and the creation of favorable conditions for attracting international talent and investment.
Of course, this success wouldn’t have been possible without the close collaboration with ESA, as Minister of The Economy Lex Delles emphasized during his opening speech. Initiatives like SpaceResources.lu (launched 2016) and the establishment of the European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC) in 2020, operated jointly with ESA and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), laid the foreground for innovation and development.
The celebration was punctuated by supportive messages from Prime Minister Luc Frieden and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, after which a panel reflecting on the last 20 years of collaboration with ESA brought together emblematic space figures like former ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain, Chairman of the HITEC Luxembourg Advisory Board Yves Elsen, ESA Director of Commercialisation, Industry and Procurement Geraldine Naja, and CEO of the Luxembourg Space Agency Marc Serres.
A star guest, Belgian-Luxembourgish Astronaut, Raphaël Liégeois, offered a glimpse into the intense preparations for his upcoming ISS mission in a panel alongside LSA’s space ambassadors (Astronaut for A Day 2023). Separately, a panel featuring prominent digital content creators from the YouTube channels Le Journal de l'Espace, Le Petit Astronome, and SOL.exe were invited to discuss the evolution of the space sector over the last decades and share their perspectives on Luxembourg's role within it.
Eyes on the Moon: Tenacious Micro-Rover
650 people held their breath for minutes, eyes glued to the big cinema screen as the Japanese lander, Resilience, was about to touch down on the surface of the moon. Aboard was "TENACIOUS," the Luxembourg-built rover with an important mission: chart a clearer path for the future of space resources utilization by symbolically leading a commercial transaction of lunar regolith with NASA, marking the first authorized mission under the LU Space Resources Law of 2017.
Seconds away from landing, the connection with the lander was unfortunately lost, terminating the mission that same night. It was an emotional moment we all shared alongside the very team that worked tirelessly on bringing the rover to life.
Operating in the harshness of space inherently involves big risks and potential setbacks but for pioneers, these are not dead ends, they are valuable learning experience to build on.
The LSA congratulates the hard work and the perseverance of the ispace EUROPE team as well as our Japanese partners which have successfully brought RESILLIENCE to destination after 5 long months of travel.
We are looking forward to the upcoming missions and to seeing a Luxembourg-built rover set its wheels on the moon in the near future!
