Space, by its very nature, is a shared and borderless domain. It is a core belief at The Exploration Company that progress in exploration beyond Earth should be built on global partnerships, where nations and people work together to push the boundaries of innovation.
This cooperative vision strikingly resembles Europe’s core values. As a continent that has successfully integrated diverse national interests into a unified framework, Europe is uniquely positioned to be a leader in the future of global space exploration. Despite the many challenges, it has repeatedly demonstrated that cooperation among nations can drive technological and economic growth, and most importantly, preserve peace.
TEC's Role in Propelling Europe Forward
At its essence, The Exploration Company (TEC) is a European company with a mission to propel Europe to the forefront of space innovation and industrial transformation. This mission is rooted in leveraging the strengths of both traditional and commercial space approaches.
Embracing the efficiencies of the commercial space sector, where investment, innovation, and government collaboration have sped up progress and lowered associated costs, scalable and competitive solutions for a thriving European space economy are at hand.
TEC aims to disrupt and transform the European space industry, offering Europe and the world an agile and cost-efficient space capsule first, and other vehicles afterwards.Each location plays a pivotal role in building a competitive and self-sustaining European space sector: Germany, Munich:Core of spacecraft avionics, power systems, and flight software. Also, a leader in additive manufacturing.
France, Bordeaux: Specializing in propulsion systems, reentry phase, thermal engineering, system engineering, and mission safety, also hosts the main control center.
Italy, Turin: Home to the babckup control center, docking and other complex mechanisms, life support system and high-thrust engine turbomachinery.
Luxembourg, opening in 2025: Dedicated to cryogenic refuelling, a critical development for deep-space missions.
European Roots with a Global Approach
While TEC is fundamentally European, it also embraces a global perspective. The company has opened US operations, headquartered in Houston (opened in 2024) and is actively engaging with strategic partners in the Middle East, India, Japan, and Australia. These collaborations ensure Europe remains an integral part of the global space ecosystem.
Building Next-Gen Spacecrafts
TEC is driving several key initiatives that will position Europe as a global leader in space logistics and commercial spaceflight: A European LEO Capsule with Re-Entry Capability
TEC is developing a reusable low Earth orbit (LEO) capsule that will initially focus on cargo missions, with the long-term goal of becoming human-rated. Today, only the USA, China, and Russia have this capability. TEC's goal is to position Europe as a competitive player on the global stage. Lunar Cargo Return Capabilities
There is a clear performance gap in the Artemis program architecture for returning cargo from the Moon to Earth. TEC’s technology is designed to fill this need. (NASA 2024, "Architecture-Driven Technology Gaps," NASA Moon to Mars Architecture White Papers) A Heavy, Sustainable European Launcher
TEC is driving the development of a high-thrust, sustainable engine - a key component of a future heavy-lift launcher that will enable cost-effective and frequent access to space for Europe and beyond.
A Call to Action: Europe Must Act Now
The future of space belongs to those who invest today with bold and long-term plans. Europe has talent and technology. The opportunity is here to set the stage for the future - a globally cooperative future in space. The time is now, and The Exploration Company will contribute to realize it.
