The factories of the future are being built in space
Matthias Maurer has a big dream: The 54-year-old wants to go to the moon and is therefore building a lunar training facility in Cologne. He sees space as the location for the factories of the future.
Astronauts are actually perfectly prepared for this one moment: The moment when the rocket takes off. "Your heart skips a beat for a very short moment, almost like it's in your pants," says Matthias Maurer. But that only lasts for a few seconds. "After less than ten minutes, you're weightless and flying at 28,000 kilometers per hour," he adds. And that's when the space adventure can begin.
Maurer has a dream: The 54-year-old wants to go to the moon. Maurer is one of the potential European astronauts who could secure a place in NASA's Artemis Moon missions. "That's why I'm building a lunar training facility with my team in Cologne," Maurer reports.
In 2021, Maurer traveled to the ISS and was the twelfth German in space. Now he hopes to make it to the moon as well. But that could still take a few years. Until then, he plans to train on his planned lunar facility in Cologne. "It's an installation that NASA doesn't even have. We hope that even American astronauts will come to us before they go to the moon," he says.
Space economy sets billions in motion
The space industry is booming. Private companies have brought momentum to the field. A recent McKinsey study predicts that global revenue could reach $1.8 trillion by 2035. Today, the space industry generates $630 billion in revenue. A big pie that Germany and Europe are getting too little of. "China is really putting in a lot of effort. They can do a lot more than Europe," says Maurer.
In addition, there are the impulses coming from Elon Musk's Starlink and SpaceX. A key to success for Europe, in Maurer's view, is the promotion of startups. The possibilities in space seem limitless. In the future, factories in space could even be a reality, explains the astronaut, who is also a materials researcher. "An application could be growing organs up there," he says.
With Matthias Maurer, Frauke Holzmeier and Andreas Laukat spoke. You can listen to the entire interview in the podcast "So techt Deutschland".
The space economy, driven by industries like SpaceX, is projected to generate trillions of dollars by 2035, with SpaceX's Starlink playing a significant role. This boom presents an opportunity for Europe, as current revenue stands at $630 billion, but Germany and Europe are currently receiving a small portion.
Matthias Maurer, hoping to join NASA's Artemis Moon missions, sees the potential of space travel extending beyond astronaut training. He's building a lunar training facility in Cologne, which he hopes will become a destination for American astronauts before they embark on their lunar missions.
Space could be the location for factories of the future, according to Maurer, who is also a materials researcher. He suggests that growing organs in space could be a future application of such factories.
NASA's Artemis Moon missions, if successful, could significantly impact the economy, as they would make space travel more accessible and stimulate new industries. Maurer, as a potential European astronaut, is excited about the possibilities this could bring to Europe.
