Orbital Technology: The IOS Project and New Directions in Space Engineering

The In Orbit Servicing (IOS) project, led by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), is a demonstrative space mission aimed at developing and qualifying a vehicle capable of performing orbital services. The contract, worth a total of €235 million, was signed with Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between France’s Thales (67%) and Italy’s Leonardo (33%), acting as the lead company in a temporary business consortium that also includes Leonardo, Telespazio, Avio, and D-Orbit. The project is funded through the Italian government's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and is expected to be ready for launch by 2026, with operations planned for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) [1].