Each 12 months, World Space Week brings collectively space lovers, scientists, and innovators to rejoice developments in space science and expertise
Held from October 4 to 10, this week highlights the significance of space analysis and its position in shaping our future. The theme for 2025, “Living in Space,” focuses on the applied sciences and analysis that may assist people survive and thrive past Earth.
In line with this mission, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) is supporting a spread of cutting-edge projects below Horizon Europe Cluster 4: Space. These projects not solely strengthen the EU’s space capabilities but in addition contribute instantly to creating life in space safer and extra sustainable.
Here’s a better have a look at three HaDEA-managed projects that are paving the way for long-term human presence in space.
ALCYONE: Radiation dangers in space
Radiation publicity is without doubt one of the most important well being dangers for astronauts. Unlike Earth, the place our ambiance supplies pure safety, space is a high-radiation surroundings that may injury dwelling cells and improve the chance of long-term well being points.
The ALCYONE mission is working to alter how we research and perceive these results. It is growing an modern analytical platform designed to look at the affect of space radiation instantly on organic programs. This platform will allow researchers to conduct in situ evaluation, that means analysis performed in the precise circumstances of space or simulations carefully resembling them.
By offering higher perception into how radiation impacts dwelling cells, ALCYONE additionally helps the event of superior shielding applied sciences, providing a path ahead for safer space habitats and missions.
LUWEX: Extracting water from lunar soil
Water is crucial for survival, and transporting it from Earth is expensive and inefficient. The LUWEX mission affords a groundbreaking answer: extracting water instantly from the Moon’s floor.
LUWEX has efficiently developed and examined a new extractor system able to processing simulated lunar regolith and extracting water trapped inside it. This technological breakthrough might grow to be a game-changer for future lunar missions, considerably decreasing the necessity for provide missions from Earth.
The skill to supply water on the Moon wouldn’t solely help life help programs but in addition facilitate different purposes. Still, it may be used for gasoline manufacturing, making human space exploration extra self-sufficient and sustainable.
DUSTER: Protecting space from dangerous mud
Dust could appear innocent on Earth, however in space, it poses a critical menace to each astronauts and their gear. Tiny mud particles can cling to fits, intervene with equipment, and, when inhaled, trigger well being points.
The DUSTER mission addresses this by growing new instrumentation to analyse and monitor mud behaviour in space environments. Its applied sciences can research how mud particles are electrically charged and transfer, providing essential data on how they spread and interact with surfaces.
This in situ evaluation functionality will allow future missions to handle mud publicity higher, making long-term exploration safer for each people and robotic programs.
Europe’s space management
All three projects are funded below Horizon Europe’s Cluster 4: Space, a scheme that reinforces the EU’s competitiveness in the worldwide space sector. The programme helps the event of impartial entry to space, ensures the safety of essential applied sciences, and fosters innovation for missions past Earth.