Jan Wörner: Building Humanity’s First “Moon Village”

Kicking off the series was Jan Wörner, former Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA) and current Scientific Director of the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies. In his lecture “Moon Village – A real vision or just a stupid idea?” Wörner explored one of the most ambitious visions in modern space exploration: a permanent, international settlement on the Moon.

Tracing the arc from the early Space Race and Apollo missions to today’s era of Space 4.0, he argued that the Moon is not a nostalgic destination but a necessary stepping stone for humanity’s deep-space ambitions. Wörner highlighted the technological, scientific, and political cooperation needed to make such a village possible—from the Lunar Gateway to the rise of commercial players like SpaceX and its Starship system.

Key Takeaways from Wörner’s Lecture:

• The Moon Village Concept: Envisioned as an open, diverse hub for research, resource extraction, and even tourism.
• Moon Before Mars: Establishing a lunar base will provide the infrastructure and knowledge essential for future Mars missions.
• Next-Generation Missions: Updates on the Artemis program, the Lunar Gateway, and SpaceX’s evolving contributions.
• Space 4.0: A paradigm shift toward global collaboration and commercialization in space activities.

Josef Aschbacher: Europe’s Bold Strategy for 2040

In November, TU Wien had the honor of hosting ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, who delivered a forward-looking talk on Europe’s position amid an intensifying global space race. His lecture painted a candid picture of both the challenges and opportunities facing Europe as geopolitical landscapes shift and competition accelerates.

Aschbacher emphasized the staggering transatlantic funding gap—while the US contributes around 60% of global public space investment, Europe sits at roughly 10%. Despite this, he laid out a clear and ambitious roadmap for strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy and technological leadership by 2040.

From the first flights of the Ariane 6 launcher to the search for extraterrestrial life with missions like JUICE and the Rosalind Franklin rover, Aschbacher showcased how Europe is carving out its role as a resilient and innovative space power.

Key Takeaways from Aschbacher’s Lecture:

• Launchers: The realities of Ariane 6 and Vega C in a competitive landscape dominated by SpaceX.
• Exploration: Europe’s scientific quests on Jupiter’s moons and the renewed search for life on Mars.
• Geopolitics: A shift toward strategic independence as reliance on NASA or Russia becomes increasingly risky.
• The Emerging Moon Economy: ESA’s plans for lunar cargo transport (Argonaut) and satellite navigation/communication services (Moonlight).

A Glimpse Into Tomorrow

Together, these two lectures offered an illuminating and thought-provoking look at the space sector’s rapidly evolving future. Whether envisioning a vibrant community on the Moon or outlining Europe’s strategy for global competitiveness, both speakers underscored a shared message: space is no longer a distant dream but an imminent frontier—and Europe intends to be at its forefront.

If you missed these exciting lectures or want to experience them again, you can find the audio recordings here: Jan Wörner Moonvillage, opens an external URL in a new window and Josef Aschbacher Europe in Space, opens an external URL in a new window. 

The public lectures took place as part of the EMBA program Space Architecture & Management, opens in new window. 

The public lecture with Jan Wörner was sponsored by the City of Vienna Cultural Affairs Department.