ESA and GomSpace to adapt and improve smallsat subsystems

The contract value is EUR 3.900.000 over 18 months. (EUR 3.300.000 for GomSpace Denmark and EUR 600.000 for GomSpace Sweden). The contract is carried out under the Science Programme funded by ESA, a press release reads. Small satellites have been proposed in the frame of deep space scientific missions for several years. However, questions about the combability and reliability of the small satellites' technology, traditionally used for LEO applications with limited performance and lifetime requirements, have remained unanswered or not addressed in sufficient depth. In this project, GomSpace will tackle critical technology areas that could enable the use of small satellites for a science mission with a launch date as early as 2028. The aim is to design and test various development models at subsystem level to demonstrate a technology readiness level of TRL6. "This is an important step for GomSpace. Deep Space is by far the harshest environment, you will ever meet. Adapting our nanosatellites to this environment will increase their lifetime and the reliability way beyond state of the art. This will become a significant driver in meeting the technology requirements of tomorrow – also on the commercial market," says CEO, Niels Buus, from GomSpace, in the press release.