Technology R&D Programme support to future ESA science missions

ESA's Directorate of Scientific Programmes has recently introduced a novel approach aimed at reducing the costs and minimising the risks associated with the procurement and implementation of its missions. This approach hinges on two complementary elements: technology preparedness and new management practices. The first aims at reducing the risk of unavailability of key technologies during the actual project development phases and thus avoiding substantial delays and cost increases. The second focuses on the need to lower overall mission-management costs. ESA Bulletin No. 95 (August 1998) reported on the new management practices, and so this article focuses on the technology-preparedness aspect. It provides an overview of the objectives, the main challenges, the programmatic aspects and the current status of the recently approved Science Technology R&D Programme that ESA is pursuing to support its future missions.