Expanding space fuels global growth in patent filings

Written by Copernical Team Thursday, 22 July 2021 08:40

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ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet overlooking Earth during a spacewalk

The explosive growth in space activity in recent years is observed through a new lens in the pages of a major study of global and European space-related patents. At the same time as membership of the global space club increases, and yearly number of space launches goes on growing, a steepening of patent filings in both Europe and across the world suggest a maturing market, as key players seek to defend their intellectual assets.

Defining cosmonautics

With their series of patent insight reports, the European Patent Office has made efforts to raise awareness about the impact of intellectual property and identifying future and emerging technologies. The demand for such valuable insights has been growing equally to the rising interest in space business and policy. This pilot study aims to assess trends in the space sector with patent data, while addressing the transversal nature of the domain. The success of this pilot effort has also paved the way for future studies in space-related topics, planned for the upcoming years.

This study focused on ‘cosmonautics’, defined as related to transport and operation outside Earth’s atmosphere, including interplanetary travel, excluding rocketry employed to leave Earth.

The definition was guided by ESA’s Technology Tree, which is used to classify technical expertise available from the Agency, amounting to the following eight technology domains:

Propulsion – the primary mobility system of any spacecraft, from chemical and electrical propulsion to new concepts such as air-breathing, hybrid nuclear, tether and solar sail propulsion
Structures – supplying the rigidity needed to operate through launch and space operations
Space system control – allowing spacecraft to determine and control their attitude and orbit
Mechanisms –Moving systems such as actuators, booms and release systems (limited to non-explosive for the study)
Spacecraft electrical power – supplying the power needed to operate the mission on a continuous, reliable 24/7 basis
Thermal – controlling temperature extremes within acceptable ranges across mission phases
Automation, telepresence and robotics – Enabling operations in remote and extreme environments
Space debris – methods to reduce space debris risks, including tracking, passive and active removal methods and enhanced end-of-life operations.

Propulsion and space debris were topics seeing particular growth in patent filings, with spacecraft electrical power a strong third, often linked to automotive-related players.