Bold new dreams of commercial space ventures beyond Earth orbit
In the vast realm of space exploration, the spirit of innovation and the quest for new frontiers have always driven scientists and engineers to push the boundaries of human capabilities. The European Space Agency (ESA) recently concluded its ground-breaking ESA Grand Challenge with Metalysis, a captivating competition aiming to enhance the process monitoring of Metalysis’ technology when applied to lunar in-situ resources utilisation, thus developing further opportunities for space exploration. Although this extraordinary competition has come to an end without a winning team, it has left an indelible mark on the scientific community, reminding us of the audacity and courage required to explore the unknown.
The Metalysis – ESA Grand Challenge
The Metalysis ESA Grand Challenge invited researchers, engineers and thinkers from ESA Member States to employ innovative methodologies and analytical techniques for extracting and producing metals on the Moon. This prestigious competition, with a € 500,000 prize, sought to reward new and disruptive technologies. Metalysis has developed and scaled-up its revolutionary electrolysis technology enabling the direct conversion of ceramic oxides and ores into valuable metal and metal alloy powders, which find applications in advanced electronics, aerospace, automotive, clean energy and space, with oxygen as the by-product. Metalysis technology is the solution for extracting and producing metals and oxygen from simulated lunar regolith in extraterrestrial environments. With its vast scope, the challenge captivated the imagination of space enthusiasts alike, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to finding even greater uses for Metalysis’ electrolysis technology in space exploration. The challenge encouraged participants to adopt unconventional technology approaches, fostering a spirit of creative problem-solving and innovation. The collective brilliance displayed in this pursuit exemplifies the innate human capacity for innovation, and the resilience required to face the unknown.
The End of the first phase of the Challenge and the conclusion
The Metalysis ESA Grand Challenge has achieved a significant breakthrough thanks to the remarkable accomplishments of one the competing teams: the Spanish team MALT. The MALT team’s accomplishment is an impressive feature that reflects the evolving landscape of space commercialisation and the substantial impact such competitions can have on fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation within academic institutions. MALT comprises scientists and engineers with a background in spectroscopic solutions for applications such as heritage, biomedicine and space applications. They have participated, as part of Spanish public research institutes and universities, in the development of Raman and LIBS spectrometers for space applications such as RLS for ESA ExoMars or SuperCam for NASA Mars 2020 missions.
Their ability to succeed in Phase 1 of the competition underscores their technical prowess and inventive problem-solving abilities. They not only displayed a profound understanding of Metalysis’ technology but also demonstrated adaptability and forward-thinking by exploring potential extraterrestrial applications, critical features in a rapidly evolving field like space commercialisation and technology development. As a university spin-off, the MALT team has its roots in a university research project and maintains close ties to an academic institution. University spinoffs often benefit from access to cutting-edge research and facilities, guidance from experienced academics, and a network of resources that can be invaluable in the early stages of venturing into the space commercialisation arena.
The MALT team’s accomplishments can also serve as a benchmark and a wellspring of motivation for other competing teams in the Metalysis-ESA Grand Challenge. It demonstrates that, with dedication, innovation, and a profound understanding of the competition’s objectives, significant breakthroughs are indeed attainable. This spirited competition can motivate other teams to strive for excellence, potentially resulting in more groundbreaking solutions in the realm of space commercialisation. The achievements of the MALT team not only underscore their technical expertise but also signify the positive impact of university spinoffs and competitions in cultivating a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation within the context of space commercialisation.
Their milestone in Phase 1 of the competition has earned them a highly deserved reward of €50,000, funded and awarded by Metalysis, marking a significant step forward in the pursuit of advancements. As the first phase of the Metalysis-ESA Grand Challenge unfolded, MALT stood out from the crowd, impressing the evaluation panel and industry experts with their exceptional technical proposal. Seamlessly integrating with Metalysis’ electrochemical cells on Earth, their solution offered remarkable adaptability for future extra-terrestrial applications.
This well-deserved recognition not only celebrates MALT’s innovation and technical prowess but also served as a catalyst for their continued progress in the upcoming phase of the competition. MALT were the only team progressing to Phase 2.
A promising journey ahead – The closure of the Phase 2 and Challenge’s end
This competition not only encouraged new concepts but also facilitated international, cross-border collaborations, and was a masterstroke to incentivise bold new dreams of commercial space ventures beyond Earth orbit.
After the conclusion of the second and last phase of the challenge, the Metalysis ESA Grand Challenge concluded with no winner. None of the competing teams was able to provide the final breadboard within the established time framework and thus the final prize remains unclaimed. The absence of a winner in this grand endeavour does not diminish the significant progress made and knowledge gained through the process.
Building on their expertise in the development of spectroscopic instruments for space exploration missions, the participants could compare various techniques and demonstrate, through simple experiments, their potential for detection of the evolution of metal oxides during electrochemical reactions in molten salts. This opens the way for further investigations into adaptation of the identified techniques to the monitoring of regolith reduction by the Metalysis process.
As Nitesh Shah, CEO of Metalysis highlighted, “Metalysis were very happy to partner on the Metalysis ESA Grand Challenge, and commend all participants and particularly team MALT for their research and development work, applying their in-process monitoring expertise to the core Metalysis’ technology for the reduction of metal oxides – including moon regolith”.
The innovative ideas developed during this endeavour will continue to fuel advancements in space exploration R&D – and directly and positively contribute to Metalysis’ space R&D work.
In line with the same collaborative spirit, Guillermo López Reyes on behalf of the MALT Team echoes this sentiment when stating, “As we reflect on our participation in the Metalysis-ESA Grand Challenge, all members of the MALT Team are sincerely grateful for the invaluable opportunity to contribute to the forefront of space commercialisation and innovation. We find profound satisfaction in our participation throughout this enriching journey, and extend heartfelt gratitude to all participants, the European Space Agency (ESA), Metalysis, and the diligent evaluation panel for fostering an environment of collaboration and exploration. It has been an honour to contribute to this dynamic competition, pushing the boundaries of innovation in the pursuit of advancing space commercialisation. We express our genuine appreciation for the collaborative spirit and the invaluable opportunities this challenge has afforded us. Whilst we are genuinely happy and satisfied with the experience, we also wish to express a touch of sadness as we made the strategic decision to withdraw from Phase 2. This decision was not made lightly, driven by a reassessment of priorities. Our sincere hope is that our fellow participants, ESA, Metalysis, and the esteemed evaluation panel understand the depth of our gratitude and the difficult nature of this decision. The spirit of innovation and collaboration cultivated in the Metalysis-ESA Grand Challenge will resonate in our future endeavours. Thank you for this incredible opportunity to contribute to the advancement of space exploration.”
Luca del Monte, Head of ESA Commercialisation Department, endorses the achievements asserting “The ESA Metalysis Grand Challenge brought true accomplishments from the joint steps made, especially from the Phase 1 award winner MALT team. The ESA Commercialisation Department recognises the team dedication, and the sponsor support, and looks forward to witnessing the continued impact of the teams work in the lunar resource’s utilisation field. The valuable role of academia backed research and development teams has been demonstrated by the high-level technical contribution which also benefits Metalysis’ terrestrial technologies. ESA Commercialisation reaffirm the dedication to support the growth of this emerging technology landscape and further breakthroughs, contributing to the creation of new potential markets and ecosystems.”
About Metalysis
Metalysis is a global leader in producing metal powders, alloy powders and high entropy powders for use in advanced electronics, engineering and architecture, aerospace and defence, clean energy, electric vehicles, AI and 5G and the IoTs. Deploying our solid-state electrolysis process we can reduce metal oxides from 49 elements of the periodic table. Metalysis is a key-midstream asset for the UK – providing domestic oxide reduction capabilities within the UK meaning critical materials and rare earth elements are not exposed to supply chain risks. Metalysis has a clear space strategy – having successfully extracted oxygen from simulated moon regolith and is now in a commercial consortium with Thales Alenia Space, Redwire Space Europe, AVS and the Open University under the auspices of the European Space Agency to design a demonstration payload with oxygen extraction capability – the latter being provided by Metalysis’ electrolysis technology. One Metalysis Gen 2 machine (a larger R&D unit) can produce 400 kgs of metal powders and 400 kgs of oxygen per machine per annum, thus the future of metal extraction from moon – and potentially Mars – regolith – exists today in Sheffield/Rotherham, United Kingdom.
