Horizon 2020 Space

Horizon 2020 is the programme of the European Commission to stimulate European research and innovation. Horizon 2020 is the successor of the 7th Framework programme which started on 1/1/2014. Via the sub-programme Horizon 2020 Space (Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies - Space) Europa invests in an innovative and competitive space industry and research community. It is the aim that the Horizon 2020 Space actions are complementary to the research and development activities undertaken by the MS and by ESA. The budget for Horizon 2020 Space is about €1,7 billion for the period 2014-2020. In the work programmes, the following most important action themes are addressed:

• Building on the European investment in the two Flagship programmes Copernicus (Earth Observation) and Galileo/EGNOS (Satellite navigation) via the development of commercial downstream applications/services and by supporting a constant state-of-the art evolution of both programmes;
• Stimulating the competitivety, independence and innovation of the European space sector (including SME's) through the development of space technology including critical technologies;
• Supporting the development of scientific instrumentation for scientific and exploration missions. Supporting the exploitation of data generated by scientific and exploration missions.

Notwithstanding the very competitive character of the Horizon 2020 Space calls, an average of around 5% of the total EU budget of the work programmes is going to Belgian players. As such our country takes the 6th participant place after France, Germany, Italy, Spain and England.

The Lunar Volatiles Mobile Instrument-X (LUVMI-X), developed by a consortium coordinated by Space Applications Services, is a small lightweight rover designed to explore polar regions of the Moon.