Arianespace has signed a contract to launch the NEXUS-1 satellite, the first demonstration vehicle from the startup Utmost, designed to service other satellites directly in orbit.
The main thing is about the mission and the device:
Launch: Scheduled for 2026 year as a payload on an Ariane rocket 6.
Goal: Verification of convergence technologies, docking and maneuvering. NEXUS-1 must prove its ability to safely approach other objects in space.
Functional: In the future, such devices will be able to refuel satellites, repair them or change their orbit, which will significantly extend the life of expensive space equipment.
Permanent space: The project is part of a strategy to combat space debris — instead, to leave idle vehicles in orbit, they can be recovered or disposed of safely.
This mission is an important step for the European In-Orbit Servicing ecosystem (IOS), which aims to make space logistics more flexible and environmentally friendly.
Source: https://lookintothe.space