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ESA's Exploration Science Programme: Advancing Knowledge, Inspiring Innovation
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Exploration Science element, a cornerstone of its Explore2040 strategy, invites scientists, researchers, and innovators to join us in pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and technological capabilities. Our programme uniquely balances exploration-focused science, essential for enabling future human missions beyond Earth, with exploration-enabled science that leverages our capabilities for groundbreaking research across disciplines.
From the microgravity environment of low Earth orbit to the dusty plains of Mars, we offer unparalleled opportunities to conduct cutting-edge research. Our comprehensive approach spans multiple destinations - including the International Space Station, future commercial LEO platforms, the lunar platforms, the Moon's surface, and Mars - providing a diverse array of research environments and challenges.
Guided by core European values of collaboration, scientific excellence, and responsible exploration, we seek proposals that not only advance our understanding of the universe but also contribute to solving global challenges here on Earth. Our programme emphasises open science, international cooperation, and the inspiration of future generations. ESA Exploration Science Programme offers a platform to turn your scientific vision into reality.
Through this Research Announcement, we invite you to become part of Europe's journey into space, contributing your expertise to a programme that balances scientific rigour with exploration's grand challenges. Together, we will forge new paths in space exploration, expanding human knowledge and capabilities for the benefit of all.
INTRODUCTION
ESA invites the submission of scientific proposals for research to be executed on uncrewed free flying platforms in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This Announcement of Opportunity (AO) aims to enable high quality scientific investigations making use of microgravity and the space environment, specifically targeting scientific proposals in the fields of Biology and Physical Sciences.
The AO targets the use of small and medium size payloads suitable to execute the intended research on board uncrewed autonomous platforms, including CubeSats and larger free flyer vehicles.
The opportunity is open to research topics addressing both exploration focused and exploration enabled science domains.
To balance innovation, feasibility, and timely implementation, this AO follows a two-step selection process.
OBJECTIVE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY
This AO aims to solicit research proposals, primarily in the fields of Biology and Physical Sciences that align with the ESA Explore 2040 Strategy (Annex 1).
The ESA Explore2040 strategy implements two streams of science:
- Exploration-focused science addresses the needs of ESA in order to meet its exploration objectives. Any research generating knowledge or achieving outcomes required to inform decisions relating to ESA exploration missions, studies, technology developments, operations and strategy fits into this category.
- Exploration-enabled science leverages the capabilities of the existing ESA platforms to conduct excellent science.
Proposals submitted in the framework of this AO can present research related to Exploration-Focused Science Themes, Exploration-Enabled Science Themes, or both.
Important considerations for this AO:
- The proposals shall be scientifically excellent and technically implementable for flight on LEO uncrewed autonomous platforms;
- Proposals shall provide evidence for proposed protocol requirements ( e.g tests in the lab, literature data) to justify the viability of the experiment
- Applicants shall demonstrate the resources and expertise capabilities to support the mission.
ESA will provide the resources for implementing the mission and specific hardware needed to execute selected proposals.
UNCREWED AUTONOMOUS PLATFORMS IN LEO - GUIDELINES
Complementary to the ISS research conducted in LEO, ESA is exploring future opportunities to carry out scientific experiments on alternative platforms. Naturally, these environments differ significantly from the ISS and other crewed facilities. Below is an overview of the main differences, constraints, and typical performance characteristics.
- Microgravity level is expected to be in the order of 0.1 10-3 g up to 5x10^-6g, which is needed for a wide range of scientific experiments.
- Autonomous execution: free flyers operate without the need for human intervention, as they are designed to be uncrewed and fully automatic.
- Environment: The flexibility of accommodating in both pressurized and unpressurized environments broadens the scope of potential experiments. Exposure to the space environment detectors, or exposing samples, may be possible.
- Safety: As an uncrewed platform, safety requirements are typically less stringent than crewed platforms. However ground safety requirements may turn more stringent than the ones in orbit due to chemicals and biological handling and preparation at associated launch site locations.
- Sample return: Based on the type of platform (e.g., recoverable), there will be the possibility of retrieving samples and payloads.
- Mission resources: Compared to ISS, autonomous platforms are limited in size and resources (mostly power). Experiments that target those platforms shall consider such limitations.
- Telemetry and downlink: Real‑time monitoring, commanding, and data downlink capabilities are expected to be limited. Payloads shall therefore rely primarily on autonomous operations, onboard data storage, and, where relevant, onboard data reduction or processing to accommodate constrained telemetry and downlink resources.
Constraints of the opportunity
- Uncrewed missions that will be executed fully autonomously
- Limited late access towards the launch vehicle and early retrieval after splashdown.
- Late access: Consider five days before a launch is attempted, plus an additional two-three days before the payload will be ready to implement the experiment in flight. During this time, it may be difficult to control temperature and power may not be available.
- Payloads shall assume nonpowered late access as the default. Powered upload may be permitted only in exceptional cases and will be evaluated by ESA on a case-by-case basis.
- Return of samples, if needed, after the flight may take several weeks or even months. Stowage conditions should be clearly defined. If there is no valid reason to return the samples, they will not be necessary available for return.
- Mission Duration will not exceed two months. Longer-term missions may be a possibility without sample return.
- Can be either pressurized (temperature range within the platform: 18–30°C) or unpressurized. The temperature range gives an indication of how much resources payloads need to allocate for providing suitable temperature conditions for the experiment
- Experiment concepts proposed for this opportunity should demonstrate maturity and supporting evidence for implementing the scientific protocol
- No glovebox will be made available – experiments must be run fully autonomously
- No cold stowage facility on board (this implies that when cold stowage is needed, this must be accommodated by the payload, including during the download phase where power is limited )
- Hard mounted across the whole mission instead of soft stowed on board ISS. It means that sensitivity of the sample to vibration shall be accounted for (e.g., g-vector orientation constraints)
CLASSES OF PROPOSALS
Two classes of proposals are foreseen under this AO:
Class-S Small mission opportunity Research
- Dimension Constraints: typically up to 4U (each unit-U is 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm) with power less than 20 W, 8 kg
This class is particularly suited for:
- Compact, self-contained experiments.
Class-M Medium mission opportunity Research
- Dimension Constraints: typically ~50 W, ~40 kg depending on platform
This class is intended for:
- Instruments with strong scientific merit but higher mass and power
APPLICATION PROCESS
Submit your proposal by clicking “Submit Your Idea” and filling in all sections of the submission form and uploading supplementary information where indicated.
