The European Space Agency’s (ESA) ‘Technology 2040 Vision’ document includes areas of innovation that will need focus technologies to achieve. Each of the areas of innovation has been created to advance the goals of the ESA to lead sustainability and innovation in the space sector, enabling autonomous, efficient and sustainable space exploration and habitation.
We have already discussed four of the areas of innovation:
- Planetary and Celestial Body Exploration
- A Technology Revolution on Earth for Space
- Near Earth and Deep Space Travel and Communication
- Sustainable Space
The final area of innovation, ‘Focus Technologies,’ brings together the requirements of the first four areas to determine common technology requirements to achieve goals such as AI for robotic control, task learning and problem solving. In-situ manufacturing is another common theme across the innovations, as is the use of dedicated feedstock materials for uses including space habitats and long-term sustainability.
Modular payloads and standardised interfaces will also be important for future space missions along with the smart materials and biophilic designs needed to help maintain human integrity during long-duration missions.
At the heart of all of the advancements is a commitment to creating a more circular and sustainable space economy, mitigating our impact on any space environments to protect the vastness of space for future generations.
ESA has highlighted fourteen ground-breaking technologies and technological advancements that are required to drive the next generation of space exploration.
Each of these areas includes a number of sub-sections that point to areas of innovation that could be filled or supported by expertise from outside of the space sector – providing opportunities for businesses to ‘spin-in’ to the expanding space sector, as follows:
- Expandable and Modular Space Structures
- Deployable and inflatable structures
- Orbital assembly operations and control of large structures
- In-Orbit Manufacturing and Assembly Integration
- Autonomous systems and robotics
- Advanced robotics for assembly, exploration, and autonomous operations (surface, aerial, roving)
- Autonomous resource management (e.g. bioreactors, synthetic biology, energy storage, ISRU)
- Robotics for deep space exploration and close proximity operations (e.g. task learning, GNC collaborative control)
- Advanced Propulsion Systems
- Compact electric propulsion systems for long-duration missions
- Air-breathing electric propulsion for low VLEOs
- High-speed flight systems for harsh environments
- Advanced interplanetary space vehicle architectures
- Resource Processing and Surface Operations
- Excavation, feedstock acquisition, and beneficiation
- Resource processing and handling technologies
- Environment-adapted mobility for surface exploration (aerial, legged, hybrid)
- Energy and Power Systems
- Energy-efficient systems for deep space survival (e.g. hibernation technologies)
- Sustainable power systems (solar, nuclear, deep space power sources)
- Advanced thermal subsystems and low-dissipation platforms
- Communication and Navigation Systems
- High-throughput RF and optical communication systems
- Deep-space positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems
- Distributed formation-flying satellite systems for high-gain beamforming
- Scalable and resilient communication architectures
- Life Support and Health Systems
- Autonomous resource production and management (e.g. advanced life support systems, 3D-printed food, synthetic biology for future space applications)
- Medical systems and health monitoring (e.g. AI-driven training devices, personalised medicine)
- Spacesuit technologies (augmented, exoskeletons) and advanced training systems
- Mental wellbeing and entertainment systems (extended reality, AI assistants)
- Sustainability and Circular Space Economy
- Sustainable materials and processes for satellite and launcher production
- Reusable launch systems and in-orbit services for recycling and refurbishment
- Mitigating environmental impacts on Earth and space ecosystems
- Advanced Materials and Coatings
- Low signature coatings for optical and radio frequencies
- Nanostructured, electrochromic, and dielectric materials
- Materials resistant to atomic oxygen and environmental factors
- Robust, morphable materials and mechanisms for space structures
- Advanced Sensors and Payloads
- Distributed instrumentation and synthetic aperture imaging
- Quantum sensing and smart cognitive payloads
- Modular optics and miniature RF sensors for deep space observations
- AI-driven data processing for scientific and operational payloads
- AI and Machine Learning for Space
- AI-based planning, reconfiguration, and fault detection/recovery systems
- Real-time optimisation for mission guidance, entry/landing, and autonomous operations
- Machine learning for predictive maintenance and resource management
- Space Environment Protection
- Low-atmospheric drag satellite platforms with demisable materials
- Satellite systems with minimal space debris and environmental impact
- Enhanced tracking and coordination systems for satellite operations
- Digital twin technology
- Testing, Verification and Simulation
- Advanced testing, monitoring, and forecasting methods for space environments
- Functional verification technologies for systems and subsystems
- Lifecycle assessments and model-based systems engineering
- Advanced AOCS/GNC Systems
- Real-time optimisation for mission guidance, entry and landing and autonomous operations
- Autonomous GNC for high-speed vehicles with enhanced flight safety features
- Technologies for orbital assembly operations and control of very large structures
You can find out more about ESA’s ‘Technology 2040 Vision’ here:
https://www.esa-technology-broker.co.uk/news/2025/esas-technology-2040-vision
You can see the ESA Technology Vision 2040, in full here:
https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/technology/Technology_2040.pdf