In May 2023, the AAE, with the support of AIDAA, SGAC and Politecnico di Torino, organised an international conference on “Space Exploration” in Turin, focusing on the motivations, missions and key technologies for exploring the solar system.

This opinion covers the seven themes of the conference: analysing the cultural motivations for space exploration, encouraging innovative ideas from the younger generation, lunar exploration and its environmental aspects, the use of ‘flying machines’ on certain planets and moons, how to go faster and further, the search for water and its potential uses, and finally, collaboration between robotic resources and humans.

With more and more global space players, a new era could open up, in which international cooperation remains omnipresent. It is essential, first and foremost, to enhance Europe’s assets and devote the necessary resources to them. The keyword of this opinion is therefore to keep up the momentum observed globally in recent years.