Over the last 10 years or so, people have been talking a lot about NewSpace. Is it an actual thing or more of a marketing concept?

The term refers to a real entrepreneurial movement. Over the last five to ten years, we’ve seen an incredible number of startups moving into the space sector. NewSpace began when governments – especially in the United States through NASA – decided that launching rockets into space was no longer part of its strategy. To cut costs and focus on other missions, they brought in privately owned companies to handle space launch services, such as SpaceX. The cost of space access fell dramatically and spawned a whole new space industry. Suddenly, startups and research laboratories could put their own satellites into orbit. It was a revolution. NewSpace started to boom in the United States, and Europe has been following that lead over the past five years. The context offers loads of opportunities. For example, in April 2022, the Italian company D-Orbit offered EPFL students the chance to deploy their Bunny computer into space. And it finally lifted off in January 2023. I’ve never seen a space project materialise so quickly. Things are moving so fast now that some people believe that NewSpace is already over and has given way to the era of Fast Space and its high-speed development cycles. A company has an idea, builds a demonstrator, launches it into space and tests its technology. The whole process only takes a few months.

Is Europe lagging behind in this race?

No. Europe has absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. With resources that are definitely not at the same level as those in the United States, we’re doing a lot and doing it well. More and more private investors are taking an interest in space on this side of the Atlantic. For example, the German startup Isar Aerospace, which is developing the mini-launch vehicle Spectrum, raised €155 million in March of 2023. Other high-potential European companies include the French company Exotrail, which manufactures satellite engines and raised €54 million in February of this year, and the Italian company D-Orbit, which specialises in space logistics. In Switzerland, we have the EPFL spin-off Clear-Space, which is working towards the 2025 launch of the first satellite that can capture and deorbit space debris. But return on investment remains a complicated issue, because space operations still require major investment. Government space agencies therefore still play an important role, as they award companies long-term contracts, which helps them to grow.

Which sectors will benefit from the boom in the space industry?

Firstly, there’s satellite imagery, with the best-known applications being services such as Google Earth. But imagery is used in many other areas, including meteorology, environmental monitoring, tracking the effects of climate change, agriculture, fire-fighting and, as we’re seeing in Ukraine, armed conflict. The other major opportunity is internet connectivity via satellite, like Starlink’s service in regions without cellular network coverage. That includes the Internet of Things. Satellites will bring a wide range of applications in transport.

Finally, there is space tourism, which is just getting started.  But we can expect to see private space stations cropping up within a few years’ time. And there will probably be lots of other applications that we can’t necessarily imagine today, which will develop as we harness the last frontier. 

As a result, the number of satellites in orbit is exploding. Should we be worried about a potential saturation of near space?

The space market is accelerating rapidly. It’s both amazing and frightening to see what is becoming possible. Like artificial intelligence and the concerns it raises, I think the space industry is at a turning point. We must absolutely avoid the worst-case scenario, in which we would lose access to space. At EPFL, we are working hard to keep space exploration sustainable.  

"The effect on global warming may be insignificant today, but it won’t be in the near future if SpaceX’s vision becomes a reality"

What is the focus of this research? 

Around 40 EPFL laboratories are active in the space industry. A huge number of projects are under way, in fields as diverse as communication, imaging and materials. In terms of sustainability, we were working in three areas: measurement, analysis and action. For example, when it comes to space debris, we can currently identify objects larger than 10 centimetres, but they cannot be tracked continuously, and we do not always know how they behave. However, for smaller objects, we only have statistical models. It’s important to improve these models as well as detection tools. If a one-centimetre object collides with a satellite, it can cause a catastrophic event and trigger a chain reaction, as the destroyed satellite itself can produce debris that will then destroy other satellites. 

In another area, we are also studying the impact of the space sector on global warming. For the time being, we have no idea what the carbon footprint of a space mission is. The effect on global warming may be insignificant today, but it won’t be in the near future if SpaceX’s vision becomes a reality. And it will, because we can’t slow the momentum and we shouldn’t stop innovation.

So how can we make sure near space is protected? Should governments pass laws to protect space, as they have done to combat global warming?

Currently there are no regulations. For example, if two satellites risk colliding, nothing determines which one should move to avoid an accident. There is no equivalent to traffic rules in space. But it is utopian to think that all governments will agree to pass laws to protect space. So I think Europe  should step up, take the lead and set an example. 

At EPFL, we are also working to teach companies about sustainable space exploration, primarily  through the Space  Sustainability Rating (SSR). Set up in 2021, this voluntary assessment system  provides space industry operators with a simple tool for measuring the sustainability of each mission phase.

Most satellites are launched by a handful of companies, such as Starlink and OneWeb. Are they receptive to this message? 

The companies that operate large satellite constellations are pushing things forward, because they care about their media image and they want to avoid collisions. That said, access to space should benefit everyone. So we have to make sure that low Earth orbit is not under the full control of a handful of players.