SPHERICAL and Orbital Paradigm were selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the In-Space Proof-of-Concept 3 (InSPoC3) activity on advanced autonomy for space transportation systems. The award ceremony was held in Paris, bringing together around 150 in-person attendees and 200 more online.

InSPoC3 is the third milestone in ESA’s in-space transportation roadmap, aiming at demonstrating the key enabling capabilities for on-board & shared intelligence, culminating at an In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) of these capabilities.

Such a demonstration will consolidate the two first acquired capabilities of in-orbit rendezvous & docking and in-orbit refilling, with additional features concerning spacecraft intelligence that will strengthen the upcoming reusable space-tugs.

Future space-tugs need to be long-lasting remotely serviceable in-space vehicles, performing several missions over their lifecycle, operating safely from one docking to another, collaborating with a growing number of targets, and orchestrated as fleets of vehicles and cargo. SPHERICAL and Orbital Paradigm will generate concepts for the following three domains:

1. On-board Autonomy and Reconfigurability

2. On-board Safety and Longevity

3. Shared Intelligence for Advanced Cooperation In-space

Source: European Space Agency

InSPoC-3 will seek to identify, build, and mature the technologies and solutions needed to solve the challenges listed in each of these domains of on-board and shared intelligence.