Space technology forms the foundation of our modern information society. The internet, GPS tracking, navigation systems, logistics management, and even the detailed weather forecasts provided by our weather apps are all supported by satellites of various sizes and technological levels. Satellite-based telecommunications complement terrestrial solutions and connect poorly served or remote areas—in border regions, in maritime transport, or as a backup when fiber-optic lines are cut.

Even in the small things of our everyday lives, we find developments stemming from space exploration: materials once manufactured for astronauts’ clothing now shape our athletic shoes, are used in emergency blankets for first aid, or serve to cool race car drivers in their suits. Even the cordless screwdriver, found in nearly every household, was once designed for the Apollo missions in the U.S. Scratch-resistant materials, originally developed for rockets, are now a delight for anyone who wears glasses. Freeze-dried foods and fortified baby food have their origins in space travel, as do numerous medications, medical procedures, and devices such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Spaceflight Solves Future Challenges

Furthermore, space exploration makes a significant contribution to global political and societal challenges: Thanks to space technology, we are able to observe developments and changes on the Earth’s surface, in the atmosphere, and in our climate and weather more precisely than ever before, and build on this to initiate research aimed at preserving our habitat. This also allows us to manage our scarce resources more carefully, in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner, for example through satellite-based, centimeter-precise application of seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers, as well as through pinpoint irrigation.

Space technologies provide important data and imagery to enable well-informed decisions in foreign and security policy, now and in the future. The military will become even more dependent on the ongoing digitalization of space-based systems and services. And what’s more: space applications are key and a prerequisite for future technologies such as autonomous driving and Industry 4.0. In the automated exchange of information between machines, satellites ensure a seamless broadband infrastructure—and thus ensure greater data security and sovereignty. In autonomous driving, they provide important data for navigation.

At the same time, space exploration creates a close-knit network of international cooperation, as demonstrated by the example of the International Space Station (ISS), in which Germany also participates through the European Space Agency (ESA). As humanity’s outpost in space and, at the same time, a flying laboratory with excellent and increasingly commercially utilized opportunities for science and research, the ISS is the world’s largest ongoing international science project. It demonstrates how space exploration is well-suited to inspiring young people to pursue science and technology. Female astronauts like Samantha Cristoforetti and male astronauts like Alexander Gerst serve as role models for many children and young people, thereby inspiring and motivating the next generation of scientists across a wide range of disciplines. In this way, space travel makes an important contribution to countering the shortage of skilled workers, particularly in careers in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology (STEM).

Spaceflight is becoming critical infrastructure

Space technologies thus help maintain important societal functions, security, and the economic, social, and health well-being of the population—and their importance will continue to grow in the coming decades. As a result, space travel is becoming a critical infrastructure of our country, which we must secure and expand to ensure its effectiveness both on Earth and in space.

The increasing commercialization of space, known as “New Space,” helps in this regard. It can create jobs across a wide range of industries and serve as a driver of innovation that strengthens German industry in international competition and ensures the preservation and expansion of our core technological competencies. With its system integrators, small and medium-sized enterprises, and startups, German industry possesses the expertise and innovative strength to play a leading role in the “New Space” era. Germany is a high-tech nation, the world’s third-largest exporter, and fourth-largest economy. We should hold ourselves to the standard that we are no less successful in space.