This proposal was initiated as a request from the European Space Agency (ESA). In space sciences, as well as in “mainstream” science, the development of innovative technologies opens new fields of research and provides sophisticated new tools for scientists. However, the experience of the past decades of space research has demonstrated that a conservative approach to – not yet fully proven – technology is too often followed. This may be partly due to the very long development times in that domain, but the result is that evolution is gradual and breakthroughs do not happen as frequently as they could. ESA’s end-to-end process for technology development is user driven. Work plans for technology development are identified from the needs of the candidate missions. Though specific efforts are devoted to breakthrough innovation, most of the effort goes into enabling those specific candidate missions.
ESA space missions are selected under established transparent mechanisms. Feasibility and level of maturity are key criteria for selection. Therefore in proposing missions, scientific teams tend to rely on gradual technological innovation. As a result, ESA may have to deal with obsolete technologies in a fast developing field, losing competitiveness and leadership, while Europe looks to ESA for innovation in space. It is thus necessary to look forward and in parallel to the desired breakthroughs in science and in enabling technology. Breakthroughs in science shall be targeted and the blocking factors in terms of availability of technology need to be identified. Enabling technologies capable of removing the blocking factors must also be identified.
The topics to be covered go beyond space-related technologies and address various fields of physics and engineering. In many domains, technology is evolving faster than in the space domain. A way of removing blocking factors and enabling scientific breakthroughs in space could be spinning-in advanced technologies even if not developed for space. The infusion of the best technology to achieve scientific breakthroughs requires interaction between space and non-space communities and the establishment of partnerships. It is thus necessary to combine the forward view of space sciences (of, in, from space) with the forward view of technology, also in non-space areas. The general objectives of this ESF Forward Look supported by ESA are to:
- Take stock of breakthrough scientific objectives ·
- Foresee the evolution of the technologies, in space and non-space domains
- Forecast the development of technologies for the achievement of scientific breakthroughs
- Characterize risks and propose mitigation schemes
- Identify partnership schemes, space and non space
