The objectives of the activity are to provide a customer-oriented platform to perform IOD/IOV campaigns of emerging technologies at market transforming costs and demonstrate that this platform is capable to be the backbone of a self-standing, commercially viable and sustainable IOD/IOV service. As a consequence, German Orbital Systems has developed a concept for an advanced GROOVE EVO platform, based on the customer inputs and lessons learned from the previous GROOVE platform.

In the framework of the GENA-SAT project, German Orbital Systems has developed a new commercial IOD/IOV service approach. It allows to fly technology demonstration and in orbit verification payloads into space for a fraction of today’s costs. To achieve this, a novel platform, together with the corresponding ground infrastructure and sustainable business model are developed based on the company’s heritage project GROOVE.

The concept is built on a 6U CubeSat basis, which is shared between up to 20 customers. 4U of free space can be dedicated to various configurations of payloads from simple sensors to advanced telescopes or propulsion modules. The innovative solutions allow flexible payload handling while maintaining generic satellite architecture. Software defined capabilities of platform in terms of power and data interfaces, advanced attitude control approach using new types of actuators, dedicated interface managers for each payloads and autonomous payload scheduler – these are some of the unique solutions which differ the proposed platform form existing IOD/IOV dedicated satellites. GROOVE web portal - the main interface for the customer throughout the mission lifetime includes possible customer interactions. The web portal offers an access to booking of capacity on board of a scheduled mission, online satellite data analysis page, satellite and payload health monitoring platform, online mission control center and customer support module.

Major advantage of developed satellite concept is the variety of possible payloads which can be arranged within one satellite bus and user-oriented approach to mission handling. This proposed design approach guarantees the maximum value for the customer within the boundary conditions of a shared satellite mission and hence at optimal costs.

To bridge the gap between the self-standing and economically sustainable service and the concepts, some delta development effort is needed. The follow-on activity will be carried out in 2021 and 2022 with the goal of flying the first demo mission in late 2022 and operating it until 2023. Based on the concept developed the main objective of the follow-on activity will be to finalize the design and to carry out a first demonstration mission.