The Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (RI) project looks at the many ways Machine Learning (ML) is revolutionising planetary science. The advent of Machine Learning (ML) has enabled a new approach, known as data-driven science. Using the wealth of datasets and streams available, ML can explore the data to find a pattern or commonality. Out of these initial steps comes a hypothesis that can be tested through data analysis, which, again, hopefully leads to a new understanding. Clustering or fusing datasets, moreover, can reveal connections that are not recognisable in the individual datasets.
The Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure is a €10m project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme, that supports the planetary science community. The project’s core activities are to provide access to facilities, field sites, and data services.
However, Europlanet also provides investment through ‘Joint Research Activities’ that combine the expertise of multiple partners to create the new infrastructure and services needed to carry out world-leading planetary research. Since 2020, the project has developed ML tools to handle complex planetary science data more efficiently and provide opportunities to combine and visualise multiple diverse datasets. This programme has been further enhanced through a collaboration with a second Horizon 2020 project, EXPLORE, which is developing applications for the exploitation of galactic, stellar and lunar data, and provides a platform for deploying and testing ML tools and services.
Further, Europlanet’s ML-powered tools are based on scientific cases proposed by the community that address key challenges in planetary research. From these proposals, seven cases were chosen to follow up initially during the project, and further cases have been added over time. All the tools are open-source, ready-to-use, and highly customisable, enabling other researchers to freely deploy and adapt them for their own research scenarios.
Lastly, it should be noted that, by developing ML tools tailored to data-driven planetary science, Europlanet has cemented collaborations, started to build new user communities and developed services that are already resulting in publications. While the planetary science community could be seen as late to the party in adopting ML, interest is now high. This couldn’t be more timely – with flagship missions to Mercury and Jupiter soon adding to the deluge of data streams, the era of data-driven science is only just beginning.
Europlanet 2024 RI and EXPLORE have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreements No. 871149 and No. 101004214, respectively.
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With advances in space technology, we’re on the edge of the next gold rush—but not on Earth. Based on recent scientific and engineering breakthroughs and commercial interests, off-Earth mining is expected to begin in the next decade.
The motivation for off-Earth mining is multifaceted: access to an unlimited wealth of valuable space resources, the spirit of discovering new planets and the development of spin-off technologies to be used back on Earth.
However, off-Earth mining has many challenges: there are geological uncertainties—we don’t know exactly where the water is and how much there is; infrastructural needs such as landing pads; social considerations—people have a strong emotional attachment to the moon; and financial constraints, with high risk but high potential return.
Looking toward the future, the mining industry is working towards zero-entry mines (with no human access required) and invisible mines (low-impact, reduced-footprint mining sites) to reduce the effect on the environment, improve energy efficiency and achieve decarbonization.
Improved social acceptance and reputation are also critical for the mining industry’s future. The space resources industry is motivated by colonization and creating a market for its product.
Themining and space sectors both thrive in challenging environments, making collaboration essential. They can mutually benefit, with the mining sector gaining from systems engineering and autonomous technology, while space can leverage operational experience and market creation.
The path ahead is loaded with uncertainties, but merging mining knowledge with space exploration will be paramount in the years ahead.
In his latest post, MEP Niklas Nienass is discussing space sustainability. The theme was illustrated in multiple ways, such as (a) at the exhibition entitled “Out of sight-out of mind?” featuring artwork by British photographer Max Alexander, (b) at the Space Dinner that followed, as well as, (c) at the Space Forum.
At the exhibition opening in early July, the speakers emphasized how important it is to discuss space sustainability publicly. Aarti Holla-Maini (soon to be Director of UNOOSA) and Sara Lucatello (Vice-President European Astronomical Society) explained there is a global need to catch up on this issue. The subsequent panel discussion with Sara Lucatello, John Janka (Chief Officer, Global Government Affairs & Regulatory at Viasat Inc.) and Nikas Nienass focused on how space debris will jeopardize future space projects – with consequences for our infrastructure. As Sara Lucatello said, “The proliferation of satellites and space debris significantly limits our ability to explore and develop space” And John Janka added “Politicians must act now. I am enthused that there are initiatives like the European Space Law that address this challenge”.
Further, at the Space Dinner, the topic of space sustainability was at the top of the agenda as well. At the dinner, which was hosted by Mr. Niklass and GSOA (Global Satellite Operators Association), particular emphasis was placed on the criteria for a leading role for Europe in the sustainable development of space and the budgets and policies required for achieving this. What became clear is that space sustainability must take center stage – but we also need to be bolder, more innovative, and create space for the innovative SMEs and start-ups to flourish. That can only be achieved through European cooperation.
What is more, the need for European cooperation was addressed during the panel discussion at the Space Forum as well. It is noted that space is being used up as quickly as possible, without limits. Given that, we shall need clear rules, which can be achieved with the implementation of the European Space Law Initiative.
Additionally, MEP Niklas Nienass mentioned that clear limits are being set for the funding of the European Space Programme. Specifically, COPERNICUS is currently €721 million short, and it is still unclear whether this gap will be covered, or by whom. Negotiations have recently taken place with Great Britain, but it is already certain that they alone will not pay for the remaining amount. If the member states do not find a common denominator in the negotiations, COPERNICUS will be shut down for years. Mr. Niklass stated that we also need COPERNICUS to monitor climate change, atmospheric fluctuations and natural disasters, the reason why he is advocating for a hearing on COPERNICUS in committee after the summer break.
Consequently, he stated that on Wednesday 19 July 2023 the implementation of IRIS is on the agenda including proposals in the field of sustainability.
For more information about the live streaming, please follow the link.
According to his latest post, MEP Niklass Nienass, through an upcoming exhibition on space debris, is trying to give the topic of space debris a public platform. Based on his statement “what happens up there far away from us is reminiscent of the Wild West. And it affects our everyday lives more than many people think”.
It should be noted that in the international Space Race, the big players compete for the best innovations, for the biggest projects. What happens to satellites or rocket parts afterwards hardly matters. There are now 130 million tiny parts in space. Between 2018 and 2030, the number of active satellites is expected to rise from 2,000 to 100,000 – after their mission they’ll become space junk.
However, the problem with this infinite space is that things can get tight very quickly. Since 1999, the ISS and its astronauts have had to correct course 32 times to avoid collisions, Mr. Nienass said. Retired satellites can cause critical infrastructure to fail through collisions with active satellites.
Further, it is true, that space debris can come to us: Ten years ago, a retired Soviet satellite crashed in Hudson Bay over Canada. Such unburned parts can, in the worst case, hit areas of high population density.
To this end, Mr. Nienass makes the following questions: Do we really want to be so wasteful with our raw materials? Rare earths that are supposed to be useless after the Space Project? We need better solutions. Approaches already exist on how to better locate decommissioned satellites. And space waste collection: from 2025, ESA wants to use satellites to collect waste in space. We need more of that.
Official answers can get through the European space law establishment. This should oblige all space players to consider the sustainability and disposal of satellites and rockets in their projects. This law should then set standards worldwide – so that the Wild West in space comes to an end.
Find the full statement on the website: https://niklas-nienass.eu/
Based on a recent post published by MEP, Mr. Niklas Nienass, it is noted that the SPD parliamentary group in the German Bundestag published a position paper (German) on Germany’s role in space.
It is highlighted that the spaceflight is increasingly considered as a political issue in Germany — especially since the paper offers a number of promising approaches. Among other issues, it states that:
the German government should advocate common standards and binding rules at European and international level and begin work on a national space law;
the German government should support the further integration of European spaceflight, assume responsibility in existing and emerging European space institutions, and constructively support the legislative process for an EU space law in the Council;
the development of a Space Traffic Management is necessary and safety in orbit must be ensured by researching and regulating the disposal of space debris. The according EU initiative is welcomed.
Mr. Nienass states that it is a good sign that the SPD parliamentary group is looking at German spaceflight from a decidedly European and international perspective.
He also comments that “In Europe, with the structure of ESA and national space organizations, we have a space landscape that is unique in the world. I am convinced that this diversity makes us strong. Germany plays a leading role in European and international spaceflight — and should also co-shape the international regulatory discourse accordingly. Common rules and standards are necessary to strengthen European spaceflight in the long term”.
The European Space Forum will return to Brussels in 5 to 6 July, 2023, and will once again bring together key stakeholders and thought leaders for 2 full days of face-to-face debate. Focusing on the key pillars of security & defence, sustainability, competition, innovation and connectivity, the event will provide the opportunity to come together and discuss key challenges and opportunities as Europe looks to deliver on its space ambitions and secure its position as a strong and resilient leader in the global space market.
Key themes this year:
The EU Space & Defence strategy
Sustainability and safety of space operations
Space funding and investment in an uncertain world
The role of the EU in international space policy
IRIS² & Secure space based connectivity
Supporting SDGs through space
Delivering a competitive and innovative EU space sector
For more information on any aspect of this event please access the link here.
The world’s first “Space for Island Nations” conference is set to take place in Crossroads Maldives, from May 2nd to May 5th, 2023. This event will bring together international space companies, policymakers from island nations and NGOs alongside experts in climate science and environmental management. It is the first ever space conference focused on Island Nations and the Maldives as a host country.
SINC 2023 is hosted by the Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO), as the first space organisation dedicated to the research and development of the space sector in the Maldives.
Following the International Women’s Day, the premises of the European Parliament warmly welcomed ESA’s astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti as a guest, while her speech, as of the first female European ISS commander, was an inspiring event!
MEP Niklas Nienass had the pleasure to exchange views on how to further increase the number of women in STEM professions — especially in the space sector. It should be noted, that Director General Josef Aschbacher is proactively leading the way at ESA in this matter.
Further to the event, the future of European spaceflight was also on the agenda. Samantha’s dream was to launch into space on a European rocket one day. It is true, that Europe needs a strong voice in space — and as MEP Nienass said, “we must be able to live up to our political vision technologically. Europe needs the ability to fly humans into space on its own“.
These issues were also advocated by a high-level advisory body appointed by ESA. In their newly published report, the experts propose that Europe further expands its capacities in orbital and lunar spaceflight — both in terms of robotic and human missions. Among other things, they discuss the possibility of a commercial European Space Station in LEO and a permanent European presence on the Moon.
MEP’s Nienass view is to continue to rely on international cooperation in space — and at the same time strengthen our autonomy with sufficient investments.
Please read further on the site: https://niklas-nienass.eu/
ERIM is a new kind of meeting to support European planetary science and associated communities. The format of ERIM 2023 is a series of interactive workshops related to the activities of the Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (RI) project, research infrastructures in general, and the Europlanet Society. The meeting will be co-hosted with EPEC Annual Week 2023, the training school for the Europlanet Early Career Network.
How will it Work?
Workshops will be organised under a series of programme tracks. You can dip in and out of programme tracks, workshops and even sessions during the week. The aim is to make new connections, brainstorm ideas, develop synergies, increase opportunities for collaboration and help us build a strong, thriving, sustainable community for planetary science in Europe.
You don’t have to be a member of the Europlanet Society or the Europlanet 2024 RI project to participate in ERIM. We are looking for new people to engage with Europlanet, so everyone is welcome. However, we will be offering free accommodation and travel grants to a limited number (~150) of participants. If we are over-subscribed in requests for support, priority will be given to Europlanet Society members. (Find out about other benefits of joining the Europlanet Society).
Programme
Many different topics will be covered within the ERIM programme tracks and workshops, including:
Europlanet VA Services (including the VESPA Virtual Observatory for planetary data, SPIDER Space Weather Services, GMAP Geological Mapping and Machine Learning)
Research Infrastructures (including Common Challenges and Sustainability for Small and Medium-sized Distributed RIs, and the Europlanet 2024 RI Council Meeting)
In his latest statement, Niklas Nienaß, MEP, commented on how risky the involvement of private companies in war zones is, mentioning also that this raises political questions regarding the privatisation of spaceflight.
More specifically, Niklas Nienaß stated that “whether or not combat drones controlled via Western services should be deployed in Ukraine is a difficult question that needs to be carefully evaluated. In the end, however, it should not be companies or private individuals who decide, but democratically legitimized representatives of the people“.
Further he pointed out that the privatization of spaceflight has unleashed immense innovation over the past decade, from which we will all benefit, calling for taking also regulatory action.
What is more, Niklas Nienaß said that international rules and competition are needed in order to prevent monopolies and dangerous concentrations of power. At the same time, democratic actors need to work on building their own technologies.
Given that Europe is now gaining momentum, with IRIS², Mr. Nienaß lastly mentioned that “we are building our own technological capacities” and, therefore, “now we need to create a blueprint for future international regulation with a European Space Law!“
Europlanet Dinner Debate in the European Parliament
On 24 January 2023, Europlanet and Niklas Nienass, MEP, co-hosted a Dinner Debate in the European Parliament. The theme of the debate was “Promoting the importance of space policiesand a European Space Strategy”.
The evening started with an introduction by Mr Nienass and a video message from the Europlanet 2024 RI Coordinator and President of the Europlanet Society, Nigel Mason, who was unable to attend in person. Over dinner, a number of invited participants gave short keynote speeches, and this was followed by an open debate.
The European ParliamentNiklas Nienass MEP co-hosted the Dinner DebateEuroplanet President, Nigel Mason, delivered a video message.Europlanet President-Elect, Ann Carine Vandaele.MEP Niklas Nienass introduces the Dinner Debate.MEP Niklas Nienass moderating the discussion.MEP Niklas Nienass moderating the discussion.MEP Marian-Jean- Marinescu.MEP Marian-Jean- Marinescu.Participants at the Dinner Debate.Dinner Debate ‘Promoting the importance of space policies and a European Space Strategy’.Rodrigo da Costa, Head of EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA).Josef Aschbacher, Director of European Space Agency (ESA).Kai-Uwe Schrogl (International Institute of Space Law).Christoph Kautz (Head of DG DEFIS).Europlanet President-Elect, Ann Carine Vandaele.Charles Gallard (ASD-Eurospace).Torsten Kriening (SpaceWatch.Global).Europlanet Industry Officer, Jeronimo Bernard-Salas.Europlanet Industry Officer, Marcell Tessenyi, participating in the Dinner Debate.The European ParliamentStavro Ivanovski (INAF/Europlanet).Walther Pelzer, Member of the Executive Board, DLR.Barbara Cavalazzi (University of Bologna/Europlanet).Dinner Debate ‘Promoting the importance of space policies and a European Space Strategy’. Credit: Europlanet.
Short keynote note speeches Marian-Jean Marinescu, MEP Rodrigo da Costa, Head of EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) Josef Aschbacher, Director of European Space Agency (ESA) Kai-Uwe Schrogl, President of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) Christoph Kutz, Head of DG DEFIS Ann-Carine Vandaele, Vice President of Europlanet Society Executive Board Charles Galland, Policy Manager, ASD-Eurospace
Debate (moderated by Niklas Nienass)
Details of the Dinner Debate:“Promoting the importance of space policiesand a European Space Strategy”.
Europe’s capacities in the space sector are continuously growing; we have world-leading programmes covering all areas of space activities and the largest international community of planetary scientists. The importance of space endeavors slowly comes to overall public awareness and this is mirrored in increased private interest as well as governmental spending. As Europe, we have enormous potential going forward but currently, we are lacking a common policy framework, legislative basis and overall strategy. We need to keep building the coherent, well-networked and collaborative community we have and fully exploit the resources at our disposal. Europe is taking a leading role in challenging missions aiming at changing the space sector.
This high-level event should bring decision-makers, academics and researchers together to discuss the importance of a European Space Strategy, status quo and common visions to go forward.
MEP Niklas Nienass is Member of the European Parliament for The Greens/EFA, where he is responsible for space policy. A strong supporter of the European new space economy, he is committed to establish a European space legislation and set international standards for space traffic management. He has a seat in the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), where he negotiates space related legislative files on behalf of the Greens/EFA group. In 2020 he graduated with a Master’s degree in Good Governance with a thesis on international space law.
The Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (Europlanet 2024 RI) is the culmination of a series of projects funded by successive European Union Framework Programmes (FP6 and FP7) to build a research infrastructure integrating planetary science across the European Research Area. Europlanet 2024 RI delivers access to virtual services and transnational access to the world’s largest collection of planetary simulation and analysis facilities. Europlanet is equally well placed within the Horizon Europe strategic objectives, focusing on industrial applications, development of digital technologies, EO services, AI and machine learning. The Europlanet Society, launched in 2018, is structured around 10 Regional Hubs and it aims to build sustainable capacity and cascade expertise in stakeholder engagement through the European planetary community. Europlanet focuses on evidence-based policy, informing policy makers on the scientific, industrial and socio-economic impacts of planetary science, at European and national level. They are also engaging with the planetary science community raising awareness and encouraging its engagement with policy makers and industry across Europe, in particular with SMEs.
Following the success of the European Space Conference that was held from 23-24 January, MEP Niklas Nienass in his recent article highlighted the main outcomes, such as boosting the international understanding and cooperation, as well as concerns for Europe’s space autonomy, namely the technological autonomy, providing that “I am convinced that Europe should play a leading role in space – as a strong voice for peace, freedom and research. We must be able to live up to this political claim with our own technology”.
Further, he drew special attention to the topic of sustainability, by welcoming the fact “that the industry is now proactively setting the tone here. I hope that in the future the general public will also become more aware of the importance of spaceflight in the fight against climate change“.
With regard to his topic at the conference, MEP Niklas Nienass stressed the importance for a European Space Law, which is needed for future technologies, and that a “secure legal framework will strengthen industry, including new companies in this sector“.
Moreover, he emphasized on the importance of the new planned European constellation IRIS2, stating that it has “real added value for citizens. This means secure communication in times of crisis and better internet coverage across Europe“.
Lastly, he mentioned that “the final vote on the constellation in plenary is planned for 14th February. I am very pleased that after hard negotiations we have a project on the table that I can recommend to my group for approval without reservation. However, I will continue to follow the project critically and will particularly advocate the involvement of SMEs and start-ups“.
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In an annual press conference on the year ahead, held on 23 January, ESA’s director-general Josef Aschbacher detailed a spate of technical and political challenges that are severely hampering Europe’s ability to launch satellites and other craft. Among these are the loss of European access to Russia’s Soyuz rockets, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the European responses to it. “That means that as of mid this year, we do not have guaranteed access to space for use of our European launchers, and this is a huge problem for us, for all of us” Aschbacher said.
Vega-C and Ariane 6
In addition to the Russian freeze-out, ESA has suffered several technical launch failures since 2019, Aschbacher reminded the press. Last year, the inaugural flight of the Vega-C rocket went off without a hitch in July, but in December another Vega-C mission ended in failure and the destruction of the launcher after a sudden decrease in pressure, the cause of which is still being investigated.
Aschbacher said the agency was taking “several measures…to make sure we put everything on the management side on track to proceed and advance as quick as we can” with improving European access to space. As well as the work on Vega-C and Ariane 6, he said ESA would support the development of small, mini or micro-European launchers, capable of lofting payloads of up to one ton. ESA is exploring the use of a competition to launch payloads with such launchers, he said. But more generally on the transportation problems, he warned: “We need to really work on this to get back, to guarantee access to space for Europe again.”
This call provides an opportunity to develop a wider pan-European research infrastructure to support the European space community in conducting fundamental research in space exploration. We look forward to working with colleagues in astrobiology, astrochemistry and astrophysics on this and other RI calls.
Within the Digital, Industry and Space programme there are again specific calls for the space domain with a deadline of 28 March 2023. Those perhaps most relevant to the Europlanet community are:
HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-71: Scientific exploitation of space data. This call ‘supports the data exploitation of European missions and instruments, in conjunction,when relevant, with international missions’ in order to exploit ‘all acquired and available data provided by space missions in theiroperative, post-operative or data exploitation phase ensuring complementarity with activities already supported by ESA or national agencies during development phases.’ It is estimated 8 projects of between 1 and 1.5 MEuros will be funded
According to latest news, Europe invests to space activities, given that ESA’s budget will be 16,9 billion euros, namely 17% more than the previous three-year budget.
Further, new programs are to be launched in the areas of exploration and satellite navigation, among others. Germany’s ESA contribution of 3.5 billion euros is higher than the previous contribution of 3.3 billion euros. Moreover, Germany remains the largest ESA contributor.
In addition to the newly approved annual ESA budget of approximately 5.6 billion euros, Europe will invest 2.1 billion euros through the EU budget and approximately 4 – 6 billion euros annually through the individual EU member states, for a total of around 11.7 – 13.7 billion euros. By comparison, the U.S. is spending 24 billion euros on NASA this year alone.
Based on this development, Mr. Niklas Nienass, MEP, commented that space is the sector of the future, while infrastructures in space are becoming extremely important for life on earth. Additionally, he stated that public and private investment is the chance for the forefront of space travel in the future. Furthermore, Niklas Nienass also recognized the German ESA contribution with regard to the budget increase as wise for the the beginning of Germany’s three-year presidency of the ESA Ministerial Council Conference.
You can find the presentation from ESA regarding the agreement here.
On 17 November, EU lawmakers reached a preliminary political agreement on the new European Satellite Constellation for Secure Connectivity. Alongside the Earth observation program Copernicus and the navigation program Galileo, IRIS will become the EU’s third strategic space infrastructure. It should be noted that IRIS will be a multi-orbital satellite constellation providing connectivity, making European infrastructure more resilient and independent of third parties.
MEP Niklas Nienass stated that “satellite-based communication services play an important role in case of crisis. That is why it is good that the EU will build up its own infrastructure.” Moreover, it was provided that the need is to “consciously use of small and medium-sized New-Space companies and their innovative strength”.
Please find more information about the IRIS EU Secure Satellite Constellation here.
The Space Traffic Management Dinner Debate will be held on the 9th of November and is part of Friends of Europe’s Making Space Matter initiative, in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA).
The race to space globally is crowding our planet’s orbit. Lower thresholds to enter the space means that more actors than ever before are competing to put their satellites into orbit. Private sector players, such as Bezos and Musk, are leading the way. In the absence of the ‘rules of the road’ in outer space, the congestion of space threatens the viability of infrastructure and operations. This is significant considering the security challenges and global geopolitical tensions that characterise the space race: the creation of space forces in China and the United States are two cases in point. Despite signs of political cooperation, notably between China and Europe, the default position in space is to protect national interests in an environment that is fundamentally uncertain and unpredictable. The overcrowding of space gives little room for errors and miscalculations, which in such a high-stake geopolitical context, can quickly escalate into open conflict.
In addition to the thousands of satellites operating under the watch of nation states, private companies and citizens, there are now over a million debris of at least 1cm orbiting around the Earth and threatening to damage space infrastructures and equipment.
The key role of the involvement of several actors like the Member States, significant stakeholders and close coordination between national and international government and commercial entities from the outset will support this path, concluding to an advanced policy framework, which is developing very slowly.
To this end, there is a need for a coherent set of technical and regulatory provisions that will ensure that the access, the activities and the return outer space are safe and sustainable.
Following the first Making Space Matter Summit, this invite-only dinner debate will look more closely at the importance of urgently tackling STM and the role that the EU plays at a global level.
After the landslide adoption of the position on the Secure Connectivity Programme in the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), the Rapporteur GRUDLER (Renew) and Shadow Rapporteurs SALINI (EPP), HRISTOV (S&D), NIENAß (Greens/EFA) and TOŠENOVSKÝ (ECR) are ready for a swift negotiation regarding this new Programme.
MEPs send a strong signal with the adoption of their position on the Secure Connectivity Programme:
“Less than 7 months after its introduction by the European Commission, the European Parliament is now ready to engage in negotiations with the Council for an ambitious Programme, that should strongly reinforce the European strategic autonomy. If the ITRE Committee mandate for inter-institutional negotiations is not challenged, the European Parliament position will be considered as formally adopted next week during the plenary session in Strasbourg. After Copernicus (Earth Observation), Galileo/EGNOSS (Satellite Navigation), and Space Situational Awareness, it is high time for the European Union to build the 4th pillar of its space policy. We are committed to make it a success.”
The HORIZON R&D partnership, involving five industry organizations representing the whole supply chain, was launched in June 2021 along with other eleven research partnerships. However, long-standing strategic and political interests relating to space got in the way and Member States opposed the partnership. Following that, the Commission had to renegotiate.
This has resulted in a reduction of the scope, with the partnership now limited to the three areas of commercial telecoms, earth observation, and future space ecosystems.
What is more, the budget has been drastically reduced, from an initial €1.4 to €2 billion to €150 million for three years. With a new budget and smaller scope, partners now need to prepare a new strategic document for the partnership to replace the previous, more ambitious one, not an easy task though.
The story of a martian geologist – Dr Tanya Harrison
By Hans Huybrighs, Batiste Rousseau, Nandita Kumar, Prasanna Deshapriya, Ottaviano Ruesch, and the EPEC future research working group. With special thanks to Jatan Mehta.
Academia or industry? A question on the mind of many early career researchers.
We spoke with Dr Tanya Harrison, a PhD Mars geologist, who now works as the Director of Strategic Science Initiatives at the NewSpace company Planet. We learned how we can keep our passion for planetary science and stay involved in the field outside of academia, how in industry your personal values also matter, and how important networking can be.
Dr Tanya Harrison. Credit: T Harrison
The difference between industry and academia: a trade-off in values
A move to industry from academia is often seen as a loss of ‘personal values’. We often think that there won’t be as much freedom to pursue our personal topics of interest in industry. How do you see this?
While I would agree that there is indeed less freedom to pursue one’s path in industry, there could be more space for other values. For example, I really value efficiency in getting things done, which is more important in industry than at universities. Also, in industry there is a much stronger link to your individual performance and career progression. In industry you can get promoted much faster and work your way up the ranks much more quickly. Generally speaking, you can make more money way more quickly.
It’s nice to feel compensated and rewarded for what I am so passionate about. That was not always there on the academic side, where it sometimes just feels like a slog where you’re pouring out your heart just to barely scrape by. You could be the most amazing researcher in the world and still not get grant funding just because there’s not enough funding out there.
So is industry better than academia?
I think it’s totally about your personality. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong decision. Either way it’s about where you personally feel the best. The question is: do you want to throw yourself into research and have a lot of flexibility at the cost of slower career advancement and probably lower pay, or do you want to throw yourself into a career to climb the ladder as quickly as possible in exchange for a potentially more stressful work schedule?
Did you have a “culture shock” when you transitioned to industry?
I think the only surprise was how much of my day would be taken up by Zoom meetings! — Even before the pandemic I spent a lot of time on meetings like sales calls. Meetings about annual contract values and license agreements are so foreign compared to what you’re used to in academia. It’s certainly educational but sometimes you think, “How am I supposed to actually get any work done when I spend my whole day on calls that are about the work I should be doing?!” Otherwise, I did not feel there was a huge culture shock even if I might be biased because I worked in industry before.
How did the work mentality change in industry compared to academia?
The mentality of how the work is approached is very different. I work way more hours in the day in my current job than I did as an academic. Academia was not a consistent level of crazy busy all the time, while I feel in my current job it is crazy busy all the time. Some of that is just being in the startup culture.
If you are somebody who wants to throw yourself into your work, startup companies can consume your entire life by doing that. That can happen in academia too but there you are generally representing yourself and your work. Being on the industry side, anything I do has my name on it too but instead I’m representing the company. That adds an extra dimension of stress because if I mess up, it could negatively impact the company. I don’t want to lose my job! [laughs]
Long term networking pays off
How do we get hired by the NewSpace industry?
Networking is extremely important, especially at smaller NewSpace companies. They hire people based not only on what’s on their CV but also on how much they like someone as a person and how much they think they will fit in the team. However, I wouldn’t say this is true for large companies like Boeing, Airbus or equivalents.
In the NewSpace companies, your reputation with other people in the community is important. You might get hired because someone knows you and recommends you for a job. These companies are so small and so new that they need good people to get off the ground. So these recommendations come with a lot of weight behind them.
How did you start networking with Planet?
The first connection I ever had with Planet was on Twitter, when one of their engineers asked a question about image processing on Mars. Based on my experience working in mission operations, they brought me to Planet to give a colloquium presentation. Later I got accepted into their science ambassadors program, and gave talks at conferences to demonstrate the potential of Planet data. The more I got to know them, the more interested I became in working for Planet.
Over a period of two years my connection with them developed further. I worked hard to get hired. I think that goes a long way with these companies. It helps to show that you care about the company. That way you won’t be just a faceless name on a resume. A lot of these people start these companies because they’re really passionate about it. They’re not necessarily just in it because they’re trying to make a lot of money, but because they want to change the game when it comes to rocketry or Earth observation.
So networking is essential. Where do we get started?
Going to conferences and any type of networking event is really helpful. The International Astronautical Congress (IAC) is an excellent conference to go to for new space networking.
“Change is possible”. A wide variety of career paths are possible after PhD because skills are transferable.
Do you think you will be able to come back to academia or to a faculty position?
I think so. My old boss tried to convince me that if I left academia I could never come back. Maybe 10-15 years ago that might have been the case. However, now people and universities across various domains are appreciating having a broader set of skills like being a better communicator or knowing how to work with more people. Going back is probably not as easy as staying in academia but I think it’s more beneficial in the long run. At least for me, when I went into industry the first time, it gave me a much clearer idea of what I wanted to do for my PhD. After my Master’s, I had no idea of what I wanted to study other than Mars in general. I came back four years later with a clear idea for a project! Working in industry could give you a perspective about how the world works and what you might want from your career.
Tips for transition
How do you transition to a role in industry as a planetary scientist?
It all ties back to knowing how to market the skills that you’ve gained as a planetary scientist in a way that is beneficial to the companies that you’re looking at. Companies aren’t necessarily going to be interested in your knowledge about ice on the moon or the dynamics of asteroids because it doesn’t directly apply to what they’re doing. In general it’s more about the skills that you learned while you were doing research. When you’re making your resume or your CV, it’s good to explain something you did and its result, so they can tangibly see your skills.
Would you recommend to early career scientists who want to switch from academia to industry that a combination of technical and scientific skills is something important to work towards?
Absolutely. If you have skills like analyzing huge datasets or programming that come along with the research you’ve been doing, you can market those and use them to your advantage when applying. It’s a huge thing if you understand the actual technicalities of the things that you’re working with.
You can still be involved in planetary science, but in a different way
We often hear about skills that are transferable to industry, such as data science, But, which jobs are there for planetary scientists coming from academia that are related to planetary science?
That’s tricky if you still want to actually do planetary science. The options are limited but they are growing. I recommend keeping an eye on opportunities at the companies that are going after contracts for NASA’s Artemis and Commercial Lunar Payload Services program or European equivalents. There is not going to be an explosion of these planetary scientists for now but that might change over the course of the next five to ten years.
Europlanet 2024 RI has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871149.
Europlanet AISBL (Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif – 0800.634.634) is hosted by the Department of Planetary Atmospheres of the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Avenue Circulaire 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
