TUM Showcases Ice2Thrust Research at Space Resources Week 2026

From 4 to 7 May 2026, the Space Resources Week in Luxembourg once again brought together the global space resources community — this year welcoming 520 participants, making it the world’s largest international conference dedicated to the exploration and utilisation of space resources.

The Technical University of Munich (TUM), lead partner of the Ice2Thrust (S4I2T) consortium and home to the Chair of Lunar and Planetary Exploration, was strongly represented with five presentations spanning the breadth of the project’s scientific scope.

Presentations and Posters

Florian Achorner presented work on the development and evaluation of methods for producing water ice particles for use in icy lunar regolith simulants — a foundational challenge for testing extraction technologies under realistic conditions. Alexandra Adiaconiței presented research on cold-trap purification of lunar-analogue vapour mixtures, earning an honourable mention in the poster competition — a well-deserved recognition for her work. Laura Grill presented results on a solar-driven approach to water ice extraction from lunar regolith, using redirected sunlight as the energy source — directly relevant to Ice2Thrust’s goal of a fully solar-powered extraction and propulsion chain. Florian Hipp contributed research on electrolyte-related changes in FFC (Fused Fluoride Carbonate) cells during oxygen production, addressing an important aspect of in-situ resource processing.

Professor Philipp Reiss delivered two talks: one on the relevance of planetary protection considerations for lunar exploration and resource utilisation — work carried out within a European Science Foundation working group — and a dedicated presentation on the Ice2Thrust project itself, titled “From ice mining to propulsion with the Ice2Thrust project”, providing the broader community with an overview of S4I2T’s vision and progress.

Why Space Resources Week Matters for Ice2Thrust

At its core, Ice2Thrust envisions a future where water extracted from lunar and other planetary ice deposits can be converted into green propellant through solar-powered water electrolysis, enabling a self-sustaining, Earth-independent space mobility infrastructure. Space Resources Week is precisely the community where the upstream half of this chain — ice prospecting, extraction, purification, and processing — is being shaped by the global research community. TUM’s active participation ensures that Ice2Thrust’s findings contribute to and draw from this broader scientific ecosystem.

Congratulations to the entire TUM team, and a special recognition to Alexandra Adiaconiței for her honourable mention in the poster competition!

👉 Learn more about the Space Resources Week: www.spaceresourcesweek.lu

👉 TUM’s event recap: https://www.asg.ed.tum.de/lpe/news/article/space-resources-week-2026/