As part of the European Commission’s ISOS programme, this project aims to deploy advanced space robotics and in-orbit rendezvous to support sustainability in space by enabling satellites’ life extension and enhancement while reducing space debris.
ILA Berlin air show, June 10th 2026 – Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), and its partners have been chosen by the European Commission to lead the EROSS SC project dedicated to on-orbit servicing activities. This project is a key component of the European Commission’s ISOS (In-Space Operations and Services) programme, which aims to carry out a pilot mission by 2030, thus paving the way towards the development of a European infrastructure for in-space operations and services.
The EROSS SC (European Robotic Orbital Support Services – Servicing Component) contract, worth 12 million euros, calls for the development of one of the two spacecrafts capable of carrying out Europe’s first demonstration mission involving automated rendezvous and robotics operations directly in space. This mission, coordinated by Thales Alenia Space in France, will validate the technologies needed for future robotic in-space servicing operations, such as satellite rendezvous, capture, docking, refueling and payload exchange capabilities.
This spacecraft will then be integrated, along with the other components of the ISOS program, into the pilot mission scheduled for 2030, and will carry out a pre-operational mission consisting in capturing an end-of-life satellite to perform a controlled atmospheric reentry, thereby preventing it from becoming space debris.
Thales Alenia Space will coordinate the EROSS SC project dedicated to “On-Orbit Servicing”
As an integral part of the European Commission’s ISOS program, this project aims to deploy advanced technologies in space robotics and orbital rendezvous to make the use of space more sustainable by extending the lifespan of satellites, improving their performance and reducing space debris.
