New Delhi, June 10. Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, has been selected by the European Commission to lead the development of a key spacecraft for Europe’s future in-orbit servicing capabilities under the In-Space Operations and Services (ISOS) programme.
The 12 million euros contract covers the European Robotic Orbital Support Services-Servicing Component (EROSS-SC) project, which forms part of the European Commission’s broader effort to establish a European infrastructure for in-space operations and services. The programme aims to conduct a pilot mission by 2030.
Under the contract, Thales Alenia Space and its partners will develop one of two spacecraft required for Europe’s first demonstration mission involving autonomous rendezvous and robotic operations in orbit. The project is being coordinated by the company in France and is designed to validate technologies needed for future satellite servicing activities, including rendezvous, capture, docking, refuelling and payload transfer.
The spacecraft developed under the EROSS-SC project will eventually be integrated with other elements of the ISOS programme for the 2030 pilot mission. As part of a pre-operational demonstration, the mission will seek to capture an end-of-life satellite and guide it through a controlled atmospheric re-entry, preventing it from adding to the growing problem of space debris.
The second spacecraft, named SCOPE, has been awarded to Leonardo and will also demonstrate autonomous rendezvous and robotic capabilities. Thales Alenia Space in Italy is participating in that project.
With the number of satellites in orbit steadily increasing and demand for services such as navigation, connectivity, weather forecasting and environmental monitoring continuing to grow, interest in on-orbit servicing technologies has intensified. Such capabilities are expected to enable satellite maintenance, upgrades and life extension while helping to address the challenge of orbital debris.
According to Thales Alenia Space, the emergence of multifunctional servicing spacecraft could transform the way satellites are designed and operated, introducing greater flexibility and scalability into future space architectures.
Bertrand Denis, Vice President for Observation, Science and Exploration at Thales Alenia Space in France, said the company’s selection for the ISOS programme reflected confidence in Europe’s ability to develop advanced on-orbit services.
He said such missions had the potential to revolutionise the management and maintenance of space assets by extending satellite lifetimes and contributing to the reduction of space debris, thereby promoting a safer and more sustainable space environment.
The ISOS initiative represents one of Europe’s most ambitious efforts to develop autonomous in-space servicing capabilities and strengthen the long-term sustainability of activities in Earth orbit.
