Is going to space still worthwhile?

Very often, we hear: “Is it still worth going to space? Aren’t there better causes to spend our money on, here on Earth?”

At this talk, Pierre Rochus will highlight the importance of the benefits that space activities and space research bring.

He will try to convince the credulous that besides those everyday space applications that we obviously can no longer do without (GPS, for instance!), space science activities are also essential for humanity.

Space research not only gives answers to fundamental questions facing humanity but the technical design of future missions also poses a challenge to the collective imagination.

Space scientific research is not only an intellectual challenge, it is much more: it is a stimulus for technical developments; it requires constant, leading-edge developments in different technical domains such as:
 systems miniaturisation,
 light detectors,
 new materials,
 coatings,
 cryogenics,
 mechanisms,
 electrical motors,
 tribology (the study of friction, wear, lubrication, and the design of bearings)
 ...

Space Research gives rise to spin-offs and unpredictable developments which will come in useful in our future daily life. One hope is that some part of the huge budgets dedicated to military research could be transferred to space activities.

And, of course, it is very important to convince young people to study sciences and technology - where better to start, than in space?