Given the evolving threat environment in Space, Defence users are likely to require tailored assets to conduct space-to-space operations in support of Space Domain Awareness, to protect and ensure the uninterrupted services of space systems used for defence applications, in particular to inspect, repair, update, maintain or deorbit military satellites. Although the European defence community recognises the strategic need for such capabilities in the medium term, no operational assets are currently available in the EU Member States’ and EDF Associated Countries’ armed forces to carry out such missions.

Building upon or integrating results from relevant civilian EU-funded actions, the EDF intends to remedy to this shortfall by addressing R&D actions paving the way to future capabilities for on-orbit operations and services for defence applications.

This call topic therefore aims to focus on:

• the proposal of possible detailed CONOPS and related feasibility analysis for on-orbit operations and services as defined below in Scope and types and activities, considering also the ‘dual-use by design’ of the required capabilities and, where relevant, the High-Level Requirements included in the technical guidance document produced under Horizon Europe.
• a design that, taking into account relevant civilian developments as background information, can provide defence capability planners and national armament directorates with the in-orbit demonstration of potential solutions to be implemented to achieve the required capability.
• development of technological and capability demonstrators (TRL 6 – ready for IOD/IOV) of systems or sub-systems to be designed to perform on-orbit operations and services on current and planned satellites owned by EU Member States and EDF Associated Countries Ministries of Defence.

Proposals must address a detailed technical feasibility analysis pointing out the operational benefits of space missions designed to perform space-to-space operations for defence applications and aiming at producing the related technology roadmaps and TRL maturation for selected key critical technologies.

Proposals must develop a demonstrator of these technologies ready to be launched and compatible with the CONOPS and performances described below.

With the aim to take advantage of technologies developed within other relevant EU-funded programmes, the proposals must substantiate synergies avoiding unnecessary duplication with civil space (see below) and highlight the potential cost benefits of those synergies, taking into account the performance and governance implications as well as potential improvements required by EU Member States’ and EDF Associated Countries’ Ministries of Defence.

The defence needs and associated CONOPS to be considered include:

• the space-based ability to support space operation centres in their identification and attribution of designated in-orbit unfriendly behaviours from cooperative and non-cooperative space objects, in all relevant orbits.
• Rendez-vous Proximity Operations (RPO), docking and berthing: the ability to perform autonomous close-proximity operations, rendez-vous and capturing of cooperative and non-cooperative, prepared and non-prepared, Resident Space Objects (RSO) for de-orbiting (e.g., emergency debris removal) or servicing (e.g., life extension) enabling military space logistics (e.g., assembly, maintenance and repairing) and responsive space capabilities.
• the ability of the servicer to perform multi-purpose and multi-functional operations thanks to at least one advanced robotic arm and manipulator, including a tool exchanger device.