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\t\t\t\t\t\t05\/08\/2026<\/span> The European Space Agency is offering European researchers and companies a rare and exciting opportunity to run their innovative software directly in deep space aboard ESA\u2019s Hera mission, millions of kilometres distant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In mid-2027, ESA\u2019s Hera mission is set to complete its primary planetary defence goals around the Didymos and Dimorphos asteroids. The spacecraft will then take on a new role \u2013 it will become a unique flying software laboratory 150 million km from Earth.<\/p>\n From this exceptional vantage point in deep space, Hera will enable European innovators to test next-generation approaches for onboard intelligence, image processing and AI-based operations and autonomy directly on the spacecraft in flight.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Dietmar Pilz, ESA\u2019s Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality, comments. \u201cThis is an exceptional opportunity that will help accelerate European innovation, enabling researchers and industry to push the boundaries of onboard intelligence and autonomy. We invite Europe\u2019s innovators to shape the next generation of intelligent, robust and autonomous space missions.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are looking for targeted, innovative experiments that push onboard intelligence beyond today\u2019s procedural boundaries, while running safely alongside Hera\u2019s flight-critical systems in a protected \u2018sandbox\u2019 environment. These ideas will help ESA mature technologies that reduce reliance on ground control, increase mission resilience, and enable more capable future exploration missions.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n By opening its mission infrastructure to innovators, ESA aims to enable the acceleration of technology development and strengthening Europe’s leadership in advanced space systems.<\/p>\n If you have an idea that will push the boundaries of the mission even further, submit your ideas via ESA’s <\/i>Open Space Innovation Platform<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Launched in 2024, Hera is currently on course to reach its target this autumn: asteroid Dimorphos. This asteroid is the first Solar System object to have been transformed by human action. In 2022 NASA\u2019s DART spacecraft deliberately impacted Dimorphos to shift its orbit around parent body Didymos.<\/p>\n When the Hera arrives this autumn, it will perform a close-up crash scene investigation to gather key data about the asteroid and its response to DART\u2019s impact, resolving key questions which lie at the heart of planetary defence.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Hera mission manager Ian Carnelli notes: \u201cBy this time next year, Hera\u2019s asteroid investigation phase should be over, but the spacecraft still holds extraordinary promise.<\/p>\n \u201cUsually, we operate precious deep-space missions based on carefully validated procedures and frequent ground control oversight. But in this case, we are inviting European innovators to work in a real mission environment to help redefine how spacecraft might think, decide and operate in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cThe goal is not to hand over control of Hera, but to safely test ideas that could light the way towards more capable, more autonomous and more resilient spacecraft operations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n ESA\u2019s Hera software engineer Jorge Lopez Trescastro adds: \u201cOur priority is to perform these experiments in an entirely safe way, so we are taking advantage of the fact that Hera\u2019s onboard computer runs on a European-developed dual-core LEON3 processor.<\/p>\n \u201cOne core will operate the actual spacecraft, while the other has a safe sandbox environment that has been optimised to host guest software. Access to spacecraft instruments and subsystems will be fully facilitated, while the hosted software will only run for two to three hours at a time, and be shut off immediately if any problems are identified.<\/p>\n \u201cSetting all this up to execute in a safe and reliable way has been really challenging, but now we are ready, and really excited to see what ideas the community brings forward!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Ideas for software experiments can be submitted via our dedicated OSIP call. The submission will need to be submitted via an outline form, for an initial ESA evaluation.<\/p>\n Submit your ideas here.<\/i><\/p>\n In mid-October 2026, the selected teams will be invited to submit their implementation package and source code in full for detailed validation, for planned operation during a one-month period during August 2027.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n ESA in-orbit technology demonstration<\/b><\/p>\n ESA has enabled a number of technology demonstration missions, including the Proba family of satellites, culminating in the current formation flying Proba-3, and the planned Henon CubeSat for deep space exploration among many others.<\/p>\n These missions allow Europe to test new technologies directly in space, reduce risk for future programmes and accelerate the transfer of innovation from laboratories to operational missions. Previously, ESA\u2019s OPS-SAT CubeSat invited software developers to run standard software in space \u2013 famously including a game of Doom!<\/p>\n Hera now pushes that same spirit further. Let\u2019s see where your innovation can take us in space!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFrom asteroid investigation to software testing<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nCall for ideas<\/h2>\n
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