ESA Technology CubeSats
What are CubeSats?
CubeSats are nano and micro-satellites which typically have a mass between 2 and 36 kilograms and follow the popular CubeSat Design Specification which defines the outer dimensions of the spacecraft within multiple CubeSat units. For instance, a 3-unit CubeSat has dimensions of 10 cm × 10 cm × 34 cm and a mass up to 6 kg. This is typically the minimum size which can accommodate small technology payloads.
Fixing the satellite body dimensions promotes a highly modular, highly integrated system where satellite subsystems are available as commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products with pre-defined interfaces from a number of different suppliers and can be stacked together according to the needs of the mission. Furthermore, the specified dimensions also allow CubeSats to hitch a ride to orbit within a container – called a deployer or a dispenser – which simplifies the accommodation on the launcher (or carrier spacecraft) and minimises flight safety issues, increasing the number of launch opportunities as well as keeping the launch costs low. Due to their high degree of modularity and extensive use of COTS subsystems, CubeSat projects can be ready for flight on a much more rapid basis compared to traditional satellite schedules, typically within one to three years depending on the complexity and new technology to be developed and integrated for flight.
Why is ESA interested in CubeSats?
CubeSats have already proven their worth as educational tools. In addition, they have various promising applications in the ESA context:
- As a driver for drastic miniaturisation of systems, 'systems-on-chips' and totally new approaches to packaging and integration, multi-functional structures, and embedded propulsion.
- As an affordable means of demonstrating such technologies, together with novel techniques such as formation flying, close inspection or rendezvous and docking.
- As an opportunity to carry out distributed multiple in-situ measurements, such as obtaining simultaneous multi-point observations of the space environment (which might include the thermosphere, ionosphere, magnetosphere or charged particle flux).
- As a means of deploying small payloads – for instance, very compact radio receivers or optical cameras where the potential deficit in performance may be largely compensated by the multitude of satellites involved (e.g. in constellations or swarms).
- As a means of augmenting solar system exploration with – for instance, a stand-alone fleet capable of rendezvous with multiple targets (e.g. near-Earth objects) or a swarm carried by a larger spacecraft and deployed at the destination (e.g. Moon, asteroids, comets, Mars, and Venus).
History of ESA Technology CubeSats
Over a decade of ESA Technology CubeSats – since 2013, ESA has developed and flown a number of In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) CubeSat missions funded under the Fly element of the General Support Technology Programme (GSTP).
CubeSats have become recognised throughout the Agency beyond the domains of technology demonstration and education – including several CubeSats either under study, design, development, ready for flight or launched in other ESA programmes such as Space Safety, Exploration, ARTES for commercial telecommunications, InCubed for commercial Earth Observation, FutureEO (Scout) for Earth science and FutureNav for LEO-PNT. Additionally, the Boost! Programme is fostering the development & flight validation of a number of European microlaunchers set to launch in the near-future to provide dedicated launch services for the CubeSat and small satellite markets. Through its IOD/IOV programme, the European Commission is also continuing to utilise CubeSat platforms to support the rapid demonstration of innovative European technologies in orbit, and several national space programmes in European countries have a significant number of CubeSat missions and technology developments underway.
Finally, a diverse array of compact payloads and high-performance subsystems from European industry is now enabling CubeSat missions to support scientific exploration and commercial ventures, addressing use cases that seemed unattainable just a decade ago. Completely new system architectures such as distributed or aggregated swarms are becoming possible, opening up the prospect of innovative mission concepts not achievable by single large monolithic spacecraft. The CubeSat market continues to expand rapidly, with the industry steadily growing as CubeSats secure a solid position within the broader space sector., particularly involving the deployment of constellations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This growth has driven increased adoption of CubeSat platforms by both government and commercial customers.
CubeSat Systems Unit
The CubeSat Systems Unit, part of the In-Orbit Technology Demonstration and Validation Division within the Systems Department of the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality (D/TEC) is responsible for the project management and system engineering of CubeSat nano- & micro- satellite missions for the In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) of new miniaturised technologies, proof of concepts and capabilities at low-cost and rapid schedule. The team also provides technical support to ESA Programme Directorates as required in the area of CubeSat systems, defines and coordinates a roadmap of IOD CubeSat missions and associated technologies, and conducts relevant future mission studies.
Technical & IOD objectives:
- Utilise CubeSats to demonstrate new technologies.
- Rapidly advance the CubeSat state-of-art in Europe.
- Demonstrate diverse applications of CubeSats.
- Build up European competitiveness worldwide.
Organisational objectives:
- Act as a focal point for CubeSats, both internally & externally.
- Provide CubeSat-specific project support to ESA programmes.
- Build up a Centre of Expertise within TEC & ESA wide with a deep knowledge of CubeSats & lessons learned.
- Maintain CubeSat standards for project management, engineering, and product & quality assurance
- Build up a network with CubeSat industry & research institutes (ESA CubeSat Industry Days, and the 4S Symposium).
CubeSat mission fleet
The fleet of all the CubeSat missions (including studies) are presented in the tables below.
| Mission | Main objective | Size | Programme | Destination | Launch |
| SATIS | Envisaged as a demonstrator for a cost-effective and fast reconnaissance capability in order to ensure such a capability is ready to respond to emerging threats in the future. | 12U | S2P | Deep space (asteroid) | 2030 |
| VMMO | Map the location of relevant in-situ volatiles & resources (e.g., water-ice, ilmenite) andmonitor the local cis-lunar environment (radiation, temperatures). | 16U | E3P | Moon | 2028 |
| M-ARGO | Demonstrating critical technologies & operations for stand-alone deep space CubeSats in the relevant environment, and rendezvous with a Near Earth Object. | 12U XL | GSTP | Deep space (asteroid) | 2027 |
| LUMIO | Observing meteoroid impact flashes on the lunar far side for science & exploration hazard assessment. | 12U XL | GSTP | Deep Space (Earth-Moon L2) | 2027 |
| Vulcain | Stereoscopic imaging of the Earth focusing on volcanos & coastal areas. | 2x12U | GSTP | LEO | 2027 |
| e.Inspector | To rendezvous with and image a European space debris at high resolution. | 12U | GSTP | LEO | 2027 |
| HENON | Space weather measurements in Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) for 3-hour advanced warning of solar storms when on the sunward side. | 12U XL | GSTP | Deep space (distant retrograde orbit, Sun-Earth) | 2026 |
| GOMX-5 | Demo of Maritime Situational Awareness payload, and flight qualification of new GOMSpace platform product and the provision of a flight software testbed (on-orbit software lab). | 8U | GSTP | LEO | 2026 |
| SROC | To demonstrate in-orbit critical technologies related to proximity operations, including inspection & rendezvous/ docking, in terms of propulsion, GNC, imaging capabilities. | 12U | GSTP | LEO | 2026 |
| CubeSpec | Demonstrate high spectral resolution astronomy capability from a CubeSat including arc-second pointing accuracy. First science demo case: asteroseismology of bright pulsating stars. | 12U | GSTP | LEO | 2026 |
| Forest-3 | Demonstrate the in-orbit operations of a new wildfire detection system. | 8U | InCubed | LEO | 2025 |
| GENA-OT | IOD of an IOD/IOV Commercial service. | 16U | GSTP | LEO | 2025 |
| Milani | Map the global composition of Didymos and Dimorphos, and perform multispectral characterisation of the surface of Didymos. In-situ volatile analysis. | 6U | S2P | Deep space (65803 Didymos) | 2024 |
| Juventas | Geophysical characterization of Dimorphos, including radar tomography of interior, and surface gravity. | 6U | S2P | Deep space (65803 Didymos) | 2024 |
| Mantis | Earth observation satellite delivering high-resolution images with super-resolution techniques. | 12U | InCubed | LEO | 2023 |
| PRETTY | GNSS-R grazing altimetry technique at L5 frequency and using beam steering to measure sea state, ice and ocean currents at high precision. | 3U | GSTP | LEO | 2023 |
| Sunstorm | Demonstrate a highly miniaturized solar X-Ray Flux Monitor (XFM) technology for Space Weather monitoring and forecasting | 2U | GSTP | LEO | 2021 |
| RadCube | Demonstrate energetic particle flux and magnetic field measurements for space weather research. Demonstration of a fully redundant CubeSat avionics. | 3U | GSTP | LEO | 2021 |
| SIMBA | Demonstrate the ability of a low-cost nano-satellite to measure the essential climate variables of total solar irradiance, Earth radiation budget and hence Sun-Earth radiation imbalance. Demonstrate a new 3-axis stabilised ADCS subsystem. | 3U | GSTP | LEO | 2020 |
| PICASSO | Demonstrate the ability of a low-cost nano-satellite to measure the ozone distribution in the stratosphere, the temperature profile up to the mesosphere, and the electron density in the ionosphere. | 3U | GSTP | LEO | 2020 |
| QARMAN | IOD of a new low-cost small re-entry vehicle capability. | 3U | GSTP | LEO & re-entry | 2019 |
| GOMX-4B | Demonstrate key nano-satellite constellation related technologies, including orbit control with cold gas propulsion and inter-satellite links. | 6U | GSTP | LEO | 2018 |
| GOMX-3 | Demonstrate aircraft ADS-B signal reception and geostationary telecommunication satellite spot beam signal quality using an L-band reconfigurable software defined radio payload. Demonstrate 3-axis attitude control. | 3U | GSTP | LEO | 2015 |
Studies:
| Study | Main objective | Size | Programme | Destination | Launch |
| AltiCube+ | Surface water monitoring. IOD to demonstrate RVD, radar, interferometer, flexible structure control and high pointing accuracy/ stability. | 2x16U (IOD) 5 identical CubeSats (Full swarm) |
GSTP (for IOD mission) | LEO | 2027 (IOD) 2029+ (full swarm) |
| ComCube-S | GRBs polarisation measurement and low-latency localisation for Earth-based observations. IOD to demonstrate payload, phasing, ISL. | 2x16U (IOD) 27 identical CubeSats (Full swarm) |
GSTP (for IOD mission) | LEO | 2027 (IOD) 2029+ (Full swarm) |
Events
- 7th ESA CubeSat Industry Days 2025: Bi-annual event (link to next event in 2025)
- Small Satellites Systems and Services Symposium (4S Symposium 2026): Bi-annual event (link to the previous event in 2024)
Resources
Here you can find links to various resources related to CubeSats:
- ESA Space Debris Mitigation Requirements.
- ESA Space Debris Mitigation Compliance Verification Guidelines.
- ESA Re-entry Safety Requirements.
Contact for the CubeSat Systems Unit: iod_cubesat@esa.int.
