The European Space Agency signed a €24 million contract with GomSpace 10 November to build a trio of nanosatellites for the agency’s Scout CubeMAP mission to be launched in 2024.
ESA Scout missions aim to demonstrate the capability of nanosats to deliver value-added science via miniaturisation or next-gen tech. Each mission is required to cost no more than €30 million including the development of the space and ground segments, launch, and in-orbit commissioning. Contractors are required to do all this within three years.
GomSpace had initially been selected by ESA to construct the three-satellite constellation in December 2021. As a result, Friday’s announcement that the contract had been signed concludes a near-year-long negotiation with the Danish nanosat manufacturer.
CubeMAP aims to study atmospheric processes in the upper atmosphere and how they impact our climate. In order to do this, the constellation will measure carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, nitrous, oxide ozone, and aerosols, which all play a key role in global warming.
Not that the contract with ESA has been signed, GomSpace will lead a consortium of industrial partners to build CubeMAP. The consortium includes GomSpace in Luxembourg and in Sweden, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK, Hyperion in the Netherlands, Enpulsion in Austria, and KSAT in Norway.
CubeMAP is the second Scout contract to be signed, following the signature with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd for HydroGNSS in October.
