Fire extinguishers, skin cancer detectors and a record-breaking solar car:
all examples of new products on Earth made possible thanks to space
technology. ESA will present these, and many more space spin-offs, to
non-space industry from all over the world at the Hanover Fair, the
premier showplace for leading-edge technology (15/20 April, Hall 18, Stand
A15, hosted by ESA’s technology broker MST Aerospace).
Over the years, European space industries have gained great expertise in
building, launching, and communicating with satellites. From this
experience, many valuable products and services have been developed that
improve our daily lives. To give a few examples: the small explosive
charge that activates the airbag in our cars stems from those used to
separate a launcher’s propulsion stages; baby’s pyjamas based on the
technology in an astronaut’s training suit help prevent cot deaths.
ESA has set up a programme to stimulate the spin-off of space
technologies. The Technology Transfer Programme makes European space
technologies available for licensing or further development. A network of
technology brokers across Europe and Canada scout the space world and
identify technologies with a potential for non-space applications. They
then market the technology and provide assistance in the transfer process.
The results since 1991: more than 150 million Euro of extra revenue for
the companies involved, a figure set to rise to 1 billion Euro by 2004,
some 1000 jobs created or saved, more than 20 new companies established
and 130 successful transfers.
MST Aerospace, leader of the ESA network of technology brokers, will be
presenting over a thousand new space technologies at the Hanover Fair. The
display at the ESA/MST stand will include:
· The solar racing car Nuna, winner of the “World Solar Challenge”, a 3010
km race across Australia from Darwin to Adelaide.
· A carbon-fibre space house, combining efficient and environment-friendly
installations for energy and water with an earthquake-resistant structure.
· GTS (global transmission services) from the International Space Station,
for functions such as worldwide synchronisation of wrist watches or
immobilisation of stolen vehicles.
For more information, please contact :
Mr. W. Dupont President MST Aerospace GmbH Tel. : +49.221.9498.920 Fax : +49.221.4912.443 E-mail : office@mst-aerospace.de Mr. P. Brisson Head of the Technology Transfer and Promotion Office ESA/ESTEC Tel: +31.71.565.4929 Fax: +31.71.565.4865 E-mail : Pierre.Brisson@esa.int
