8 April 2026 Bulgarian satellite manufacturer EnduroSat and British defense technology startup Shield Space announced plans next year to launch
to the cubesat orbit, able to maneuver near other satellites for their inspection. This is the first step to creating a "mothership", which will be able to carry dozens of such devices to perform tasks on demand.
Companies claim, that the new partnership will enable defense customers to go from contract signing to on-orbit operations in just nine months – compared to several years for traditional programs – through software integration, spacecraft and services in one package. The first mission within the partnership is planned for the second quarter 2027 year is called Broadsword. It will include an 8U self-contained cubesat "chaser", which will conduct RPO operations with a smaller 3U target satellite, launched with it. The mission will demonstrate the ability to approach, track and maneuver near another object in space with real-time control without human intervention. Companies declare, that initially they will focus on the ability to track activity in orbit, understand, what is happening and determine the relationships.
Broadsword is intended as an intermediate step towards a broader architecture, the center of which will be the mother ship, capable of deploying multiple maneuverable spacecraft ranging in size from 8U to 16U, each of which will be equipped with Shield Space control software for individual RPO missions. The Project Nexus mothership is being developed in two sizes: class platform 200 kg called Frame-15 and a larger class platform 500 кг Frame-24.
IN 2028 It is planned to demonstrate the capabilities of the mothership with the smaller Frame-15 platform, a u 2029 of the year - with Frame-24, which will carry a dozen cubesats. A single mother ship will also be able to support multiple missions at the same time, providing a faster and more flexible response to new threats.
The new partnership will give operators confidence, that they will be able to maintain control of their assets in an increasingly competitive environment. The concept should provide a more responsive alternative to quick launch capabilities, in which Europe lags behind the USA, by pre-positioning spacecraft into orbit for deployment as needed. In parallel, EnduroSat with Shield Space is exploring more advanced capabilities, which go beyond monitoring and awareness, including non-kinetic approaches to threat exposure or containment.
Source: https://spacenews.com