ISOS Pilot Mission Detailed Design – satAPPs component
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Funding Overview
Grant Title: ISOS Pilot Mission Detailed Design – satAPPs component
Call ID: HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-24
Type of Action: HORIZON-RIA (Lump-Sum)
Indicative EU Contribution per Grant: €2–3 million (total topic budget €5 million; up to two projects expected)
Strategic Context
The call sits under the *“Acting in Space”* building block of Horizon Europe Cluster 4 and directly feeds the 2030 In-Space Operations and Services (ISOS) pilot mission. Focusing on satAPPs (composable, exchangeable functional modules), the action will:
* seed a European “AppStore” for satellites;
* enable plug-and-play upgrades, recycling and re-use of spacecraft functions;
* mature TRL-6 technologies for in-orbit demonstration/validation (IOD/IOV);
* reinforce EU strategic autonomy and reduce non-EU dependencies.
Eligible Activities
1. Detailed mission & system design for the satAPPs component.
2. Technology maturation to TRL 6 (payload exchange, robotic interfaces, etc.).
3. satAPP modules dedicated to hosting IOD/IOV experiments.
4. Interface definition with servicing, HOST and logistics elements, in cooperation with the Pilot Mission Advisory Group (PMAG) and the dedicated CSA.
5. Business modelling for governmental and commercial use-cases.
Financial Specifics
* Lump-sum funding: the EU sets a fixed amount approved during grant preparation; payments are linked to milestone deliverables—not cost statements.
* Cost categories remain the same as actual-cost grants when building the lump sum, but no ex-post financial audit takes place if work is completed.
Geographic Eligibility
Participants must come from the EU or Associated Countries; entities from other countries may participate if self-funded. Always consult the National Contact Point in your country for clarifications.
Why This Matters for your country
* Leverage your country's strong industrial base in robotics and advanced manufacturing.
* Access to your country research institutions working on modular satellite buses.
* Opportunity for SMEs in your country to position themselves in the emerging in-space economy.
📊 At a Glance
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🇪🇺 Strategic Advantages
EU-Wide Advantages and Opportunities of the grant "ISOS Pilot Mission Detailed Design – satAPPs component"
1. Single Market Access
• 450 + million potential end-users: A European satAPPs "AppStore" can be marketed simultaneously to the entire EU/EEA, enabling rapid customer acquisition for in-orbit services, payload upgrades and IOD/IV ticket sales.
• Public-sector demand pull: Common procurement rules let consortium members sell modular satAPPs to EU flagships (Copernicus, Galileo, IRIS2) and to national defence/civil customers without re-certifying in each country.
2. Cross-Border Collaboration
• Mandatory multi-nationality: Horizon projects score higher when at least three Member/Associated States cooperate; this naturally pools robotics SMEs (e.g. DE/IT), software houses (FR/PT) and space component makers (PL/CZ) around one integrated design.
• Complementary excellence: Combine ESA-funded robotics labs, EIC deep-tech start-ups and large system integrators to cover the full TRL-6→8 chain, something rarely possible at national scale.
• Pan-European supply-chain resilience: Diversified sourcing across borders reduces single-country bottlenecks and export-control exposure.
3. EU Policy Alignment
• Green Deal / Circular Economy in Space: satAPPs enable reuse, upgrade and recycling of modules, directly ticking the "circular economy" KPI in the Work-Programme.
• Digital Europe & STEP: The topic is labelled a Strategic Technology for Europe Platform (STEP) action; successful projects gain the STEP Seal, easing later access to EIB/InvestEU blended finance.
• Secure Connectivity & Open Strategic Autonomy: By lowering non-EU dependencies on avionics, software and robotics, the action underpins IRIS² and the Chips Act objectives.
4. Regulatory Harmonisation & Standards Leadership
• Common standards: The project can drive EU-wide interface standards (mechanical, electrical & data) for plug-and-play satAPPs; early movers often become de-facto standard owners, creating licensing revenue.
• Reduced certification burden: Once a satAPP module is qualified under ESA/EASA-aligned rules, it is accepted EU-wide, slashing time-to-market.
5. Pan-European Innovation Ecosystem
• Access to >30 ESA test facilities & orbital demonstration missions via the mandatory links to ISOS CSA, Flight Ticket Initiative, and EIC Accelerator awardees.
• Talent pool: 5 000+ PhD students graduate annually from EU aerospace programmes; consortia can embed industrial doctorates and Marie-Curie fellowships for low-cost R&D manpower.
• Digital innovation hubs & CASSINI accelerators provide mentorship and early customer piloting.
6. Funding Synergies
• Horizon Europe RIA grant (EUR 2-3 M each) covers detailed design; follow-on CAPEX can be financed by:
• European Innovation Council (up to EUR 15 M blended finance per SME)
• InnovFin Space Equity Pilot / InvestEU (
• ESA GSTP & General Support Technology Programme (50-70% co-funding to raise TRL 7-8)
• National recovery & resilience funds for on-ground testbeds.
• Lump-sum model lowers administrative overhead and eases combination with national grants.
7. Scale, Deployment & Commercial Impact
• EU AppStore = global showcase: A validated European catalogue is export-ready; after EU qualification, modules can be licensed to US & Asian primes.
• First-mover advantage in an € 18 B ISOS market (EU Space Market report) projected for 2035.
• Interoperability mandate across topics SPACE-21/22/23 ensures host-vehicle compatibility, opening additional sales channels.
8. Strategic Autonomy & Non-Dependence
• Substitution of US ITAR components with EU electronics/software strengthens sovereignty.
• European value-chain protection is an explicit STEP goal, giving projects higher political visibility and potential fast-track procurement.
9. Socio-Economic & Environmental Benefits
• Job creation: Estimates indicate ~20 high-skilled jobs per € 1 M RIA spend; a two-grant portfolio could create 80-120 jobs EU-wide.
• Debris mitigation: Modular upgrade eliminates need for full satellite replacement; ESA studies show 30 % lifetime fuel & material savings.
• STEM inspiration: High-profile in-orbit robotics attracts young talent, feeding future EU skills pipelines.
10. Concrete Opportunities for Applicants
1. Lead the interface working group within the mandatory collaboration agreement and position your design as the reference open standard.
2. Bundle IOD/V hosting offers with Digital Europe test-beds; propose a revenue-sharing model with research institutes needing flight time.
3. Target dual-use markets (defence & civil) using the new EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EDIS) for later-stage funding.
4. Exploit Copernicus evolution by designing EO-processing satAPPs compliant with upcoming Destination Earth digital twins.
5. Apply for STEP scale-up loans early; a STEP Seal accelerates EIB due diligence by ~4 months.
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Key Take-Away: Operating at EU scale multiplies technical resources, market reach and financing options, while aligning with flagship policies on strategic autonomy and the Green Deal. The satAPPs component is therefore uniquely positioned to become the backbone of a future European in-orbit "app economy" that no single Member State could achieve alone.
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See in 5 min if you're eligible for ISOS Pilot Mission Detailed Design – satAPPs component offering max €18.0M funding