| Mission type | Technology demonstration |
|---|---|
| Operator | 👁 Image European Space Agency |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | 12U CubeSat |
| Manufacturer | 👁 Italy Politecnico di Milano, Leonardo, LeafSpace, T4i |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2027 (planned) |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
The e.Inspector satellite is a future 12U CubeSat under development by the European Space Agency (ESA) for demonstrating on-orbit satellite servicing and space debris mitigation technologies.[1][2][3][4][5] The spacecraft's goal is to perform a close-up inspection of a piece of space debris of European origin, possibly a Vega rocket's VESPA adapter[6][7] or the PROBA-1 satellite, using visible and thermal imaging and to test multispectral image-based relative navigation.[8] The spacecraft is being built by an Italian consortium of Politecnico di Milano, Leonardo, LeafSpace, and T4i[3] under the ESA's General Support Technology Programme (GSTP).[9] It is expected to launch in 2027.[1][9]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Kulu, Erik. "e.Inspector". Nanosats Database. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
- ^ "e.Inspector: a 12U microsat to support future IOS mission by VIS-IR close imagìng Proba I debris".
- ^ a b "e-INSPECTOR". ASI. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
- ^ "A younger generation designs satellite to clear space – The Clean Space blog". blogs.esa.int. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
- ^ "Integrated GNC Design and Implementation for e.Inspector mission: multi-spectral imaging for spacecraft debris in preparation to active removal".
- ^ "Proba-V on Vespa adapter". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
- ^ Borelli, Giacomo; Gaias, Gabriella; Nakajima, Yu; Colombo, Camilla; Capuano, Vincenzo; Saggiomo, Fabio; Leccese, Giuseppe; Natalucci, Silvia (2024-07-01). "Mission analysis and guidance and control for the SpEye inspection CubeSat". Acta Astronautica. 220: 75–87. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.04.025. hdl:11311/1266526. ISSN 0094-5765.
- ^ e.Inspector, a 12U microsat to support future IOS missions by VIS-IR imaging Proba I
- ^ a b "General Support Technology Programme" (PDF).
