ESA’s Exploration Science Programme: Advancing Knowledge, Inspiring Innovation
The European Space Agency’s Exploration Science Programme, a cornerstone of its Explore2040 strategy, invites scientists, researchers, and innovators to join us in pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and technological capabilities. Our programme uniquely balances exploration-focused science, essential for enabling future human missions beyond Earth, with exploration-enabled science that leverages our capabilities for groundbreaking research across disciplines.
From the microgravity environment of low Earth orbit to the dusty plains of Mars, we offer unparalleled opportunities to conduct innovative research. Our comprehensive approach spans multiple destinations – including the International Space Station, future commercial LEO platforms, the Lunar Gateway, the Moon’s surface, and Mars – providing a diverse array of research environments and challenges.
Guided by core European values of collaboration, scientific excellence, and responsible exploration, we seek proposals that not only advance our understanding of the universe but also contribute to solving global challenges here on Earth. Our programme emphasises open science, international cooperation, and the inspiration of future generations.
Developing countermeasures for long-duration spaceflight, investigating fundamental physics in microgravity, prospecting for lunar resources, or searching for signs of past life on Mars, the ESA Exploration Science Programme offers a platform to turn your scientific vision into reality.
Through this Announcement of Opportunity (AO), we invite you to become part of Europe’s journey into space, contributing your expertise to a programme that balances scientific rigour with exploration’s grand challenges. Together, we will forge new paths in space exploration, expanding human knowledge and capabilities for the benefit of all.
This document provides an overview of the research opportunity offered within this announcement, titled “Announcement of Opportunity: leveraging ground-based space analogues to establish tissue-on-chip and organoid models as human health indicators” (AO-2024-TissueChipOrganoidGround), as well as the sequence of events starting from submission of research proposals to the selection and implementation of successful projects.
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