The great benefit of novel materials is their potential to create new applications and to stimulate innovation due to technology transfer capabilities. The originating sector in which the new material was developed does not solely represent its stomping ground. Its novel advantages have great potential for different areas as well. One very predestined sector is space which offers countless application fields. And on top of that, space provides unique testing environments in micro-gravity.
Space Powers New Materials and Vice Versa
Within the European space ecosystem, the New Space Economy is the driver for contemporary technologies processes and new materials. This technology driver is used to tackle global challenges. For space, new materials and their countless applications represent a sparring partner to improve Europe’s competitiveness and the sustainability of our society.
Spin-in as well as spin-off ideas – meaning technology transfer from a non-space sector into space and vice versa – profit from the best of both worlds and thus have great potential for outstanding business advantages. The INNOspace Masters competition is the perfect platform to receive research grants and to win prizes, build awareness and boost business ideas related to space. According to the motto “Space Moves!”, the competition is looking for new ideas and solutions for the next space generation.
A good example of how new materials and space are interconnected is the project ALISE.
Project ALISE
ALISE is a national collaboration which is focused on the development of a new generation of laser modules. Furthermore, the project aims to gain a better understanding of our atmosphere by delivering precise and comprehensive data. In cooperation with the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics, the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology is developing a compact Lidar (light detection and ranging) device that will carry out resonance measurements of potassium and iron atoms in the atmosphere using an alexandrite laser.
Lidar applications are of high interest for numerous remote sensing application fields, ranging from agriculture to autonomous mobility and oceanography. In the future, the system by ALISE is to be adapted for satellite missions to collect datasets all over the world.
Major Advantages
This enables high-resolution measurement of temperature and wind velocity from the ground to an altitude of 120 kilometres for the first time. Another new feature is measuring in daylight, which promises numerous groundbreaking insights. The first atmospheric measurements with the system could already be demonstrated.
Do you want to win a prize for your own space business idea? Do you like the idea of developing pioneering solutions just like ALISE? Become part of this progressive community and discover space technology for business innovation and vice versa!
Make it happen and SUBMIT YOUR IDEA for the INNOspace Masters by 8 February 2019 and boost innovative business concepts benefitting Earth and space.
About the INNOspace Masters ideas competition
The INNOspace Masters competition is being organised by the Space Administration of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as an embedded component of the INNOspace® initiative. AZO Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen, an international networking and branding company for the European space programmes, has been implementing the competition since 2015 on behalf of DLR. Partners of the competition are Airbus, OHB and the ESA Business Incubation Centres (BICs) Bavaria and Darmstadt.
