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About IOD/IOV initiative

Main steps, from experiment selection to flight

  1. March - May 2022
    Call for Expression of Interest and IOD/IOV Experiments pre-selection

    This process is handled by the European Commission with the support of ESA. The call closed on 31/05/22.

  2. Q2 - Q3 2022
    Procurement action for aggregation services and launch services and operations

    This process is handled by ESA on behalf of the European Commission. The tender action has been issued for CASSINI IOD/IOV Service (Horizon Europe) IHE1-1 CubeSat Project and is available on the ESA-Star portal

    Deadline: 30/09/2022 13:00 CEST.

  3. 2023 - early 2024
    IOD/IOV Experiment delivery for aggregation on spacecraft
  4. 2023 - 2025
    Launch and operations

CASSINI IOD/IOV Service (Horizon Europe) IHE1-1 CubeSat Project

The IHE1-1 Cubesat Project will provide the Horizon Europe Cassini In-Orbit demonstration/Validation (IOD/IOV) service with carriers based on European cubesats platforms, with a volume of 3U or 6U format. The IHE1-1 Cubesat Project contractor will be responsible to specify and deliver all elements required to accommodate a set of experiments selected by the European Commission, in order to bring them into space and to allow for demonstration and/or validation purposes.

These activities include:

  • System studies, at ground and space segment levels, including accommodation analysis of the IOD/IOV Experiments on the IOD/IOV Carrier and the compatibility analysis with the available launch solutions;
  • Input to the launch mission analysis for the launch service provider;
  • Manufacturing, assembly, integration and test of the whole IOD/IOV spacecraft on the basis of EU manufactured solutions including the selected experiments;
  • Ground segment capabilities (facilities and operators) to operate the IOV/IOV mission;
  • Management of interfaces between the different IOD/IOV experiments and the IOD/IOV carrier;
  • Input to launcher interfaces;
  • Operations of the IOD/IOV spacecraft taking into account the specific needs of the experiments;
  • Delivery of the experiments inflight data to the experiment providers, with a right to use for ESA and EU.

This project is funded by the European Union.

Deadline for tender submission: 30/09/2022 13:00 CEST on ESA-Star portal