ESA faucets NanoAvionics to construct giant cubesat for EU IOD IOV mission
by Clarence Oxford
Vilnius, Lithuania (SPX) Oct 16, 2025
ESA, performing by ESTEC, has chosen Lithuania-based Kongsberg NanoAvionics to ship a big cubesat platform for the European Union’s in-orbit demonstration and validation program. Beneath the IHE1-5 Cubesat challenge, the corporate will present a 12-16U spacecraft to host a number of European payloads for flight testing.
NanoAvionics will deal with end-to-end supply, together with spacecraft design, meeting, integration, testing, floor section, and mission operations. The platform is meant to speed up market readiness by giving rising applied sciences on-orbit efficiency knowledge and flight heritage forward of wider adoption throughout scientific, public, and industrial functions.
ESA has pre-selected eight candidate payloads from greater than 50 proposals for this rideshare mission. Remaining payload decisions will comply with a system definition evaluate within the coming months, aligning technical maturity, interfaces, and mission constraints with the bus capabilities and schedule.
IOD/IOV is an EU program entrusted to ESA below the Horizon Europe Work Programmes. It’s designed to show revolutionary applied sciences and operational ideas because the final step earlier than commercialization, strengthening European provide chains and increasing the usage of space-derived knowledge and companies throughout key sectors.
Launch timing and supplier are but to be disclosed. The mission will fly below the European Flight Ticket Initiative and is slated to make use of solely European-manufactured launch autos, reinforcing Europe’s end-to-end autonomy from payload improvement by entry to area.
“There are numerous European entities who’ve the potential to change into key actors of their expertise domains and strengthen European provide chains. Supporting them by accommodating their experiments on a platform, achieve flight heritage, and to construct confidence with potential clients and buyers is a good way for ESA to help the European area sector. ESA trusts Kongsberg NanoAvionics functionality to well timed present this lodging service to them.”
“The IOD/IOV programme is a key instrument of the European Fee. This mission displays the worth of shut collaboration between ESA and European trade in advancing new capabilities each in orbit and available in the market.
“NanoAvionics has a powerful monitor document of supporting worldwide organizations in demonstrating their expertise and enterprise instances in area, and serving to them transition to industrial in-orbit operations by offering dependable satellite tv for pc platforms. Being entrusted by ESA with this newest mission to assist strengthen the competitiveness of the European area trade additional affirms our capabilities, expertise, and orbital success fee.”
Associated Hyperlinks
Kongsberg NanoAvionics
Microsat Information and Nanosat Information at SpaceMart.com
