The ESRE signing event. Photo: NLR

[Via Satellite 03-16-2016] Belgian law has formed the Association of the European Space Research Establishments (ESRE) as an international nonprofit organization. Members consist of space research centers in Italy (CIRA), Germany (DLR), Spain (INTA), the Netherlands (NLR) and France (ONERA).

Through ESRE, these research centers will strengthen their cooperation and propose common Research and Development (R&D) actions to advance science and technology both to support the competitiveness of the European space sector and address grand societal challenges.

ESRE will pursue two key missions: first, being to enhance cooperation between research centers to support industry; and second, begin to make the organization a guiding force for medium and long term space-related R&D.

After an initial evaluation, ESRE identified the following areas as particularly promising for next generation research and development: collaborative small satellite constellations; future launch systems; cost-efficient satellite subsystem technologies; and satellite-based greenhouse gases monitoring. For 2016, ESRE plans to start consultations and discussions with the European space sector.