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pen Cosmos has signed the first work order contract as part of the In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation (IOD/IOV) programme funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe R&I Programme.
We were selected as one of six European providers for this Frame Contract in January 2025, as announced by the European Space Agency. This marked a major milestone for European innovation, the European Commission and ESA establishing a pool of rideshare providers to accelerate access to space for groundbreaking technologies. Today, we are thrilled to move from selection to execution, officially starting our first rideshare service under this programme.
Under this contract, Open Cosmos will deliver a first rideshare service to Luso Space, providing end-to-end support to the company on demonstrating and validating in-orbit new satellite technologies.
This contract recognises Open Cosmos Europe's proven capability in designing, manufacturing, and operating space missions, with a 100% success rate in orbit. The company has demonstrated its readiness to offer comprehensive rideshare services, leveraging its flight-proven architecture compatible with a range of satellite form factors up to 500 kg microsats.
With 6 satellites currently in orbit under Spanish ITU filing and an additional 4 under design and manufacturing from Spain, alongside contributions to 22 more satellites contracted from other Open Cosmos subsidiaries, Open Cosmos Europe is rapidly expanding its in-orbit infrastructure. This growth, coupled with its Open Constellation initiative, which aggregates heterogeneous space infrastructure for hosting additional payloads, highlights the company's commitment to providing continuous and regular rideshare opportunities.
“We are incredibly enthusiastic about this partnership with the EU and ESA supporting the fast validation of new European technologies, as part of our mission of making space more accessible”, said Rafel Jordà Siquier, CEO of Open Cosmos. “We have progressed at speed, signing the frame contract earlier this year and now kicking off the first work order for a launch next year.
Zuzana Mazanova, Head of Unit at the European Commission added: “This contract marks another step forward in realising the Horizon Europe vision — boosting technological sovereignty and innovation within the EU space sector. By supporting companies like Open Cosmos, we are enabling a new generation of European missions that advance science, commercial competitiveness, and sustainability in space.”
Patrice Kerhousse, IOD-IOV Programme Manager at European Space Agency (ESA) commented: “The selection of Open Cosmos through this Frame Contract reflects our continued effort to strengthen the European rideshare ecosystem. We are committed to fostering a competitive market of service providers capable of supporting IOD/IOV missions with agility, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Open Cosmos has demonstrated that capability, and we are confident in their ability to deliver.”
The implementation of the framework contract will be through individual Work Orders, with the first set of Work Orders already planned. Each Work Order will detail the specific tasks and deliverables, ensuring a streamlined and effective process for integrating IOD/IOV Experiments onto Open Cosmos's spacecraft. Furthermore, Open Cosmos will establish Rideshare Service Agreements with each IOD/IOV Experiment Provider, ensuring a collaborative and successful mission for all parties involved.
Open Cosmos is committed to ensuring that all Rideshare Services rely on spacecraft and launch services based on EU solutions, reinforcing Europe's self-reliance in space.
