July 2024
HPS CEO as speaker from Europe at the International Day of the Moon in China
HPS CEO as speaker from Europe at the International Day of the Moon in China
On Saturday, July 20, 2024, the fourth International Moon Day, proclaimed for July 20 of each year by the United Nations General Assembly with Resolution 76/76 on “international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space”, took place. The physical venue this time was China. Participants came from the United Nations / UNOOSA, the USA, India, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Europe/Germany, among others. Dr. Ernst K. Pfeiffer, CEO of HPS in Munich, had the honour of flying the flag for the latter at this high-level event, which was connected via video link.
He took the floor in Panel 2 on the topic “LUNAR HORIZONS: The Economic Implications of Lunar Exploration and Utilization”, together with Nasr Alsahaaf, Gongling Sun and Satoru Kurosu, moderated by Zhao Chenchen. The video is available here: YouTube. In his triple role as CEO, spokesperson for German SMEs and voice from Europe, Dr. Pfeiffer focused on these key messages: The challenges facing space – and here both SMEs and corporations, European countries such as Germany and Romania – as well as a highly ambitious ESA are as immense as the opportunities.
Radically divergent budget lines of the major continental players reinforce the requirements for models of cooperation, as do the different perspectives that politicians in particular adopt: some see mainly risks, while others see opportunities. Exploiting these opportunities largely depends on the availability of the two main factors: industrial infrastructure and people who can leverage synergies between scientific and commercial exploration. An additional boost to cohesion, despite all cultural and political differences, can come above all from global cooperation on projects such as the exploration and colonization of the moon.
It is equally clear, Pfeiffer told the international plenary session, that more peace between the peoples of the Earth will ultimately lead to more freedom of action and financial budgets in joint planetary exploration. According to Pfeiffer, UNOOSA must play a leading role in this. There are enough topics: space debris, mining rights, space traffic. According to Pfeiffer, the quality and ability to contribute of the many equipment suppliers from Germany will be able to play an important role in solving all problems.
