\n<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t22\/05\/2026<\/span> The launch of the\u00a04DSpace-Daedalus\u00a0mission in Norway is the latest success supported by Prodex, a European Space Agency (ESA) programme which enables highly skilled research institutes to partake in European space science activities and missions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cESA currently manages over 400 contracts with institutes and industry within\u00a0Prodex \u2013 the Programme for the development of scientific experiments.<\/p>\n \u201cProdex supports the industrial development of highly sophisticated scientific instruments and experiments in science, Earth observation and microgravity domains for ESA Science missions such as Smile, Plato, Comet Interceptor, Envision, LISA, Exomars, NewAthena, Arrakihs and non-ESA missions\u00a0 such as CLPS, Solar-C, and Polar-2. We are also developing instrumentation and experiments for the International Space Station,\u201d said ESA Head of the Prodex Office, Michel Lazerges.<\/p>\n At the Ministerial Council 2025, 17 ESA Member States pledged a total of \u20ac327.52 million to this optional programme \u2013 a 38% increase on the commitment given at the previous Ministerial in 2022.<\/p>\n Prodex gives nations the opportunity to build on their scientific know-how, forge industrial and institutional cooperation, and increase their competitiveness in the space domain.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Prodex is supporting the development of scientific instruments for a range of ESA missions and activities.\u00a0Some notable recent successes include:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Norway\u2019s space weather research\u00a0<\/b>\u2013\u00a0The 4DSpace-Daedalus (ICI-5b) mission was coordinated by Oslo University in Norway and funded partly by Prodex. The Norwegian 12m-long sounding rocket with on-board instruments and releasable subpayloads launched on 11 March from Norway\u2019s And\u00f8ya Space Centre into an auroral substorm.<\/p>\n It collected a wealth of data related to turbulence in highly-charged plasma air and in the neutral part of the upper atmosphere. The data will be analysed and used in space weather research and to understand the fundamental processes in energy transfer and couplings within the upper polar atmosphere.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \nPoland and Estonia\u2019s comet interceptor instruments<\/b> Further instruments developed in Switzerland, Belgium and Poland<\/b> will be delivered this year for the Comet Interceptor Spacecraft including the MANiaC instrument, CoCa instrument, RMA instrument, and DFP-A instrument.<\/p>\n \nBelgium\u2019s infrared spectrometer for ESA Envision<\/b> ESA\u2019s Smile mission will improve our understanding of space weather and solar storms and launched on 19 May 2026 with several instruments developed with the support of the Prodex programme.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Prodex programme, founded in 1986, turns 40 this year. A three-day celebration event to mark this will be held in Switzerland with delegations and representatives from all Prodex participating states (Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia). About 200 participants are expected.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t52<\/span> views<\/small><\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t0<\/span> likes<\/small><\/span><\/p>\n<\/header>\nA springboard for science instrumentation and experiments<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Poland\u2019s DFP-B2 instrument developed by Space Research Centre Polish Academy of Science (Centrum Bada\u0144 Kosmicznych PAN) and Estonia\u2019s OPIC instrument developed by Tartu University are the first two instruments soon to be delivered to the prime contractor for Probe B2 of ESA\u2019s Comet Interceptor Spacecraft.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Prodex has a large stake in ESA\u2019s Envision mission with 16 contracts to develop the infrared spectrometer called VenSpec-H which will study the atmospheric composition of Venus.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nProdex celebrates 40 years<\/h2>\n