The exploitation of space resources is expected to play a key role in future exploration missions, notably by enabling the on-site production of materials, energy, or consumables essential for human and robotic activities. Thanks to its multidisciplinary skills and the expertise developed within the European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC), LIST positions itself as a major player in research and innovation in this field. LIST teams contribute to the development of the knowledge, technologies, and infrastructure needed to support the emergence of a space resources ecosystem, with a focus on their responsible and sustainable use.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the first building of the Space Campus in Belval on 14 November 2025, marked a major milestone in the development of space research infrastructure in Luxembourg. This new campus aims to bring together the main public players in space research on a single site, to strengthen scientific synergies, accelerate innovation, and increase the country’s international visibility in the field.
The building will notably house the Dusty Thermal Vacuum Chamber (DTVC), a state-of-the-art facility commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA) and operated by ESRIC. This facility, unique in Europe for its capabilities, will enable the testing of technologies under conditions that replicate the lunar environment — high vacuum, extreme temperatures, and simulated regolith — to qualify equipment for future space exploration missions.
As part of its partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), ESRIC participated for the first time in an ESA parabolic flight campaign. On board Novespace’s Airbus A310 Zero G, a team of ESRIC researchers conducted the PARTICLE experiment, designed to test technologies for transporting and sorting lunar regolith under reduced-gravity conditions similar to those on the Moon.
This campaign validated in flight certain concepts developed by ESRIC for the handling of lunar soil, a capability essential for future missions to explore and utilize lunar resources. The results will strengthen the research activities conducted in Luxembourg as part of the strategic collaboration between ESRIC and ESA.
In 2025, LIST continued to expand its space resources activities within ESRIC through the PEARL programme “Solutions for the Sustainable and Responsible use of Space Resources (SolSR)” led by Dr Kathryn Hadler. Supported by the National Research Fund (FNR), this programme aims to advance research on the use of in-situ resources for space exploration.
The work draws on expertise in mineral processing to design processes capable of transforming lunar regolith into useful resources such as oxygen, water, or materials. In 2025, activities focused on developing new approaches to regolith processing and strengthening collaborations with scientific partners, space agencies, and industry stakeholders.
This programme helps position Luxembourg and LIST as key players in European research on space resources and the emergence of a future space economy.
LIST organizes scientific and professional conferences and participates in numerous trade shows and fairs. In 2025:
