ISOS Pilot Mission Detailed Design – HOST component
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See in 5 min if you're eligible for ISOS Pilot Mission Detailed Design – HOST component offering max €18.0M funding💰 Funding Details
Funding overview for ISOS Pilot Mission – HOST component (HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-22)
What the grant finances
* Detailed mission and system design of the Hub for Operational Services and on-orbit Testing (HOST) up to CDR level, including maturation of every enabling technology to at least TRL 5-6.
* Definition and validation of HOST interfaces with the other three mission pillars (Servicing, Logistics, satAPPs) and the Coordination & Support Action.
* Ground and, where indispensable, in-orbit demonstrations of robotic manipulation, refuelling, modular plug-and-play subsystems, distributed computing and AI-based operations.
* Development of operational concepts, business cases and service models that underpin a sustainable in-space economy and EU strategic autonomy.
* Cross-cutting activities: digital twins, standardisation (Universal Service Interface), security assurance, IP management, open science practices, dissemination & communication.
Budget and cost coverage
* EC expects to fund ONE RIA project; requested EU contribution should lie between €12 million and €17.5 million (full budget ceiling).
* Funding rate: 100 % of eligible direct costs plus a 25 % flat-rate for indirect costs (Horizon standard).
* Typical eligible cost items: personnel, equipment depreciation, consumables, travel, subcontracting, access to testbeds/spaceports, launch & in-orbit demonstration slots, security clearance costs, dissemination & exploitation measures.
Eligibility snapshot
* Beneficiaries must be established in an EU Member State, Norway or Iceland.
* Entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country/entity require nationally approved security guarantees; otherwise they are ineligible.
* Standard HE-RIA consortium requirement: minimum three independent legal entities from three different eligible countries.
* Classified or export-controlled work must follow EU and national security rules; staff involved may need national security clearance.
* Where Earth-observation, PNT or timing data are needed, Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS services have to be used as primary sources.
Timeline
* Call opening: 22 May 2025
* Deadline: 25 September 2025 (17:00 Brussels time)
* Evaluation results: ~January 2026
* Grant signature: ~April 2026
* Maximum project duration foreseen: 48 months – must deliver HOST CDR and TRL targets before end-2029 to enable launch by 2030.
Key reference documents
* Call text & destination description
* ISOS Pilot Mission Guidance Document and Technical Annex 163
* Draft collaboration agreement template (to be signed with projects 21/23/24 + CSA)
* Draft guidance on ownership & control questionnaire
* Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement (MGA)
📊 At a Glance
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🇪🇺 Strategic Advantages
EU-wide Advantages and Opportunities for “ISOS Pilot Mission Detailed Design – HOST component” (HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-22)
1. Strategic Autonomy & Security
- Collective sovereignty in orbit: By uniting 27 MS + 2 EFTA HE-associated countries, the EU can field a HOST platform that is *entirely European by design*, removing ITAR/export-control risks and guaranteeing freedom of action.
- Pan-European debris mitigation & resilience: A shared HOST infrastructure offers an EU-controlled node for on-orbit servicing, refuelling and inspection of Galileo, Copernicus, IRIS² and GOVSATCOM assets, shielding critical services from single-nation bottlenecks.
- Unified standards for Space Traffic Management (STM): A single EU-led pilot mission simplifies interfacing with the future EU STM framework, avoiding fragmented national solutions that would raise costs and regulatory friction.
2. Technological Leadership & Non-Dependence
- Scale to reach TRL 6–7 faster: Cross-border clustering of robotics, propulsion, modular avionics and AI labs accelerates maturation of HOST key technologies within the grant timeframe.
- EU-wide component catalogue: Leveraging ESA “Non-Dependence” lists and EC Critical Technology Observatory, partners can pool qualified parts to create a truly European plug-and-play SatAPP market.
- Shared digital twin infrastructure: A jointly funded high-fidelity simulator (HPC nodes in e.g. Barcelona, Bologna, Paris) allows distributed modelling while retaining data inside the EU’s trusted cloud (EUCS).
3. Market Creation & Industrial Upscaling
- € 130 bn forecast EU in-space economy by 2040: A single flagship pilot lowers entry barriers for SMEs to supply SatAPPs, sensor packages or refuelling tech, creating a continental supply chain of tier-2/3 providers.
- Pan-EU procurement volumes: Aggregating governmental demand (MoDs, civil protection, ESA, EUSPA) delivers predictable order books that make private investment in manufacturing lines viable.
- Access to CASSINI & InvestEU: Consortium members gain privileged routes to venture debt/equity and accelerator services, multiplying grant money with private capital.
4. Scientific & Innovation Excellence
- IOD/IOV capacity democratisation: HOST allocates experiment slots to universities and RTOs from all Member States via open calls, spreading access beyond the usual space-faring countries and fulfilling Widening policy goals.
- Cross-disciplinary AI/robotics breakthroughs: Combining expertise from European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) and space primes seeds dual-use algorithms attractive to automotive, nuclear and offshore sectors.
5. Policy Alignment & Funding Synergies
- Direct fit with Destination 5 “Open Strategic Autonomy”: Maximises scoring on Horizon evaluation criterion *Impact
• through clear contribution to Act-in-Space capability.
- Stacking with ESA GSTP, ExPeRT and Clean Space lines: EU-level coordination minimises duplication and unlocks co-funding, effectively stretching the €17.5 m budget.
- Green Deal & Circular Economy: HOST’s modular recycling concept supports EU climate objectives and can leverage additional LIFE/CINEA funding for eco-design.
6. Standardisation & Interoperability
- EU-authored Universal Service Interface (USI): Produces a de-facto global standard, giving European firms first-mover IP advantages and licensing revenue.
- Seamless Copernicus/Galileo data fusion: Using mandatory EU assets ensures consistency with EU Data Act and Gaia-X principles, facilitating downstream application uptake.
7. Skills, Jobs & Cohesion
- 10 000+ high-tech jobs projected: Distributed manufacturing (e.g. composites in PL/CZ, AI in FI/DE, propulsion in FR/IE, robotics in IT/ES) mitigates regional disparities.
- STEM talent pipeline: Partnership with EU STEM coalitions, Erasmus+ and doctoral networks embeds mobility and gender equality actions, boosting proposal excellence points.
8. Regulatory & Ethical Leadership
- Blueprint for in-orbit servicing licensing: Joint work with EUSPA & national space agencies can pre-define safety cases, speeding future commercial HOST services.
- Ethical AI & cybersecurity conformity: A single EU consortium can pre-align with NIS2, EU AI Act and Cyber Resilience Act, de-risking later commercialisation stages.
9. Long-Term Sustainability & Export Potential
- First reusable orbital warehouse outside US/China: Positions Europe to capture growing LEO/GEO logistics market and to export EU-standard SatAPPs to third-country operators.
- Foundation for lunar & Mars infrastructure: HOST’s modularity is directly scalable to cis-lunar depots, aligning with prospective ESA/ARTEMIS contributions and giving Europe bargaining power in future exploration consortia.
10. Practical Proposal Opportunities
- Leverage existing clusters:
• ROBONOVA (DE, CZ, SI) for robotics arms
• PERASPERA & SBIR-style ESA calls for autonomy algorithms
• Hydrogen refuelling tech from HERA-ZeroEmissions (NL, ES) transferable to orbital cryo-propellant storage.
- Fast-track to TRL via flight tickets: Exploit EC “Flight Ticket Initiative” to piggy-back HOST demos on upcoming Vega-C and Ariane-6 rides.
- Dissemination multiplier: Use EU-level platforms (EUSPA Hackathons, Copernicus Masters) to create SatAPP developer ecosystems before HOST launches.
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Delivering the HOST detailed design as an EU-integrated effort maximises strategic autonomy, industrial competitiveness, and societal returns far beyond the reach of any single Member State, positioning Europe at the forefront of the emerging in-orbit services economy.
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