ESA commissions European company for space capsule
The European Space Agency has commissioned its first two Cargo Return Service from European suppliers.
The Exploration Company (TEC) in Planegg, Bavaria, is building a reusable space capsule called Nyx and has been chosen by ESA as an anchor client to develop a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Cargo Return Service. Alenia Space has also been commissioned to develop a capsule for launch in 2028.
The LEO Cargo Return Service is a commercial endeavour that will transport cargo to, and from, the International Space Station (ISS) by 2028, and to other Commercial LEO Destinations after the closure of the ISS in 2030.
The ESA launched the competitive tender in December 2023 – requesting European companies to demonstrate a complete cargo delivery service. The contract is a milestone achievement for The Exploration Company and is also important for certification of The Exploration Company’s vehicle by NASA.
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TEC last week completed qualification testing of its Linux on-board computer.
“We are delighted to win the competition and sign this contract with ESA. This historic initiative demonstrates ESA’s agility and willingness to act as an anchor client, hence combining public and private funding, like NASA did about 15 years ago,” said Hélène Huby, CEO and co-founder of The Exploration Company.
“The LEO Cargo Return Service project exemplifies ESA’s commitment to ensuring Europe’s prominent role in space exploration. It prepares us for the post-ISS era, strengthening European industry’s competitiveness in low Earth orbit operations, as well as being a test case for the ESA transformation and working differently,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Human and Robotic Exploration of ESA.
In February 2024, the Company announced a positive update on further testing of its Huracan engine which will power its reusable lunar space capsule Nyx Moon and implemented three significant modifications and design enhancements. In March, the company announced the successful completion of its Green Thruster testing in Poland.
In September 2023, the company signed a cargo services pre-booking agreement with Axiom Space, the world’s first commercial space station. This was the first time a European space capsule had been chosen by a commercial space company to develop cargo transportation services from Earth to Space and back to Earth.
In February 2023, The Exploration Company completed a $40.5 million Series A funding round.
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