Request for Proposals: ISOS Pilot Mission Detailed Design – satAPPs component

The topic addresses the detailed design of the satAPPs component of the ISOS pilot mission, that allows the creation of composable and exchangeable functional modules for satellite upgrade and the development of a European catalogue of satAPPs, following the AppStore approach and fostering system modularisation and flexibility.

Objectives

• The strategic objective of this topic is to develop capabilities to ‘Act in Space’ through demonstrating in space a pilot mission by 2030 related to ISOS. The envisaged ISOS pilot mission shall provide the necessary seed components for a future service infrastructure, available to the European in-space ecosystem (including the EU assets), driving the generation of a new in-space economy, providing enhanced in-orbit technology demonstration and maximising EU technology non-dependence.

Scope

• To tackle the above expected outcomes, the following R&I actions should be addressed, taking into account the provided technical annex:
  • R&I to complete ISOS Pilot mission detailed mission and system design (including relevant key technology maturation) for the satAPPs component. All relevant technologies shall reach the necessary TRL.
  • R&I on technologies relevant for innovative satAPPs at TRL 6 that will be used in the context of the ISOS pilot mission to demonstrate upgrade of components’ functionalities and/or payload exchange and IOD/V experiments.
  • R&I on satAPP modules specifically for hosting IOD/V experiments.
  • Contribution to the overall ISOS pilot mission detail design in close cooperation with other mission components, the ISOS Pilot Mission Coordination and Support Action and the ISOS Pilot Mission Advisory Group.

Funding Information

• Budget (EUR) – Year 2025: 5 000 000
• Contributions: 2000000 to 3000000

Expected Outcomes

• Project results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:
  • A sustainable, highly automated, flexible and economically viable space infrastructure, building on technologies and concepts for a circular economy in space, e.g. plug-and-play spacecraft functionality introducing recycling/re-use of spacecraft modules/functionalities;
  • ISOS Pilot mission preparation up to detailed mission and system design for the satAPPs component, and maturation of enabling technologies and innovative system and operational concepts;
  • Elaboration of interfaces between the different components of the mission, together with the other mission components (i.e. servicing, HOST and logistics) and the ISOS Pilot Mission Coordination and Support Action (CSA);
  • Enhancing opportunities for IOD/V through satAPPs by actively promoting experiment plug and play on the HOST and prepared assets;
  • Contribution to the ISOS Pilot Mission Objectives provided in the technical annex;
  • Elaboration of clear use cases and relevant business models focussing on governmental and/or commercial needs;
  • Contributing to a European catalogue of satAPPs, following the AppStore approach and fostering system modularisation and flexibility;
  • Ensuring the availability of results to the next mission phases.

Eligibility Criteria

• Entities eligible to participate:
  • Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from nonassociated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call/topic.
  • A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
• To become a beneficiary, legal entities must be eligible for funding.
• To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
  • the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions:
    • Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
  • the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States:
    • Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FR), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR).
  • countries associated to Horizon Europe;
    • Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

For more information, visit EC.