The In-Orbit Refurbishment and Upgrading Service (IRUS) is a first-of-its-kind refurbishment and upgrading mission concept, proposed by Astroscale and BAE Systems, aligned with ESA’s Circular Economy strategy. The outcome of the systems study was a servicer design, taking elements of Astroscale’s ELSA-M and COSMIC platforms, and a modified, prepared BAE Systems client platform. DHV Technology assessed the potential to refurbish and upgrade solar cells and solar arrays.

The Team evaluated a mission concept to robotically refurbish a GEO satellite by replacing a component of the Electric Propulsion subsystem. The Team performed a case-study to evaluate the suitability of existing propulsion systems for refurbishment. Further, they created a set of circular economy system maps to envisage what the future in-orbit circular economy would look like, and identified a business case that supports refurbishment based on purely commercial value.

In-Space Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) is a revolutionary approach to building and maintaining space infrastructure. By constructing and fabricating components directly in orbit or beyond, ISAM reduces the reliance on Earth-based manufacturing and launch constraints, offering numerous advantages for space exploration, commercial applications, and sustainability. ROBOFAB was proposed as a mission study for redefining how large and complex structures are manufactured and assembled in orbit.

In the frame of the ESA campaign “System Studies for the Circular Economy in Space”, Thales Alenia Space proposed to develop its ideas exploring the ways to enable Design For Circularity initiative focusing on the definition of a mission design and concept of operations of a Recycling Space Plant involving a solar furnace for materials melting. However, beyond the scope of this particular ESA initiative, Thales Alenia Space has been leading many external and internal activities on the way to define and develop a circular space economy.

The Solar System Internet (SSI) aims to provide a network-centric communication system between all classes of space assets and the ground. Additionally, for space assets, the SSI aims to provide Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services for assets located beyond earth orbit. In parallel, the SSI will enable the next generation of space-to-ground links (e.g. Ka-band, optical). 

When parachutes are deployed, the parachute material is extracted from the deployment bag at high speed. Interaction with the parachute bag during deployment can cause damage which can propagate and cause parachute failure during inflation. After a parachute has failed during inflation, it is impossible to determine whether the initial damage was caused during deployment or inflation. A parachute extraction rig thus provides an invaluable tool for testing parachute deployment before committing to expensive system flight tests of the system.

Isar Aerospace SE (ISAR), headquartered in Ottobrunn, Germany, offers a new flexible and cost efficient European launch service using Spectrum, the in-house developed launch vehicle. The full system testing and launch experience with Spectrum is crucial in enabling fast and low-cost space access for small and medium satellites. The activity proposes high cadence services that will accelerate competitiveness and market presence, while ensuring competitive launch services by designing, building, and launching vehicles in a fully vertically integrated approach.

The purpose of this activity was to evaluate the readiness and applicability of Orbex launch services to meet ESA's needs, identify any gaps, and formulate a roadmap to address them. It focused on three key areas: (i) an assessment of the company’s robustness; (ii) a mission feasibility analysis of four ESA missions; and (iii) a gap analysis of the current launch system relative to ESA requirements, followed by a high-level roadmap to close the identified gaps. 

ESA is interested in launch services from European operators of European privately developed launch services for its mission needs. The aim of this Preparation activity was to identify the capabilities of European companies, assess their robustness and help prepare them to become ESA’s launch service suppliers. Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) was founded in 2018 with a vision to facilitate data-driven business models in space, RFA strives to enhance Earth monitoring, protection, and connectivity. RFA is currently developing the RFA ONE launch vehicle, targeting its first test flight in 2024.

The original RAMSES mission objective was targeting an arrival at Apophis before the close encounter in April 2029. The consortium proposing RAMSES II concept did baseline the spacecraft architecture on Electric Propulsion, so to provide a different alternative with respect to Hera re-use and decrease the mass at launch (and thus cost). The disadvantage in having electric propulsion is the longer cruise phase required to reach the asteroid, translating into a launch date in 2027.