European smallsat developer Open Cosmos has secured a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of three cubesats dedicated to investigating the Earth’s magnetic field and ionosphere. The contract, valued at €34.6 million ($36.5 million), encompasses development, launch, and commissioning of the satellites.
Formally signed on November 27th during the ESA Earth Observation Commercialisation Forum, the agreement marks a significant step forward for the NanoMagSat mission. This project was chosen earlier this year alongside Tango, a pair of greenhouse gas monitoring satellites, as the latest additions to ESA's Scout program within the Earth Explorer program. Scout missions are designed to remain within a €35 million budget and launch within three years of their commencement, making use of commercial development methodologies.
The three 16U NanoMagSat cubesats will be deployed in orbits at an altitude of 545 kilometers. Two will operate at inclinations of 60 degrees, while the third will maintain a polar orbit. Each satellite will feature magnetometers positioned on a boom, along with a Langmuir probe for measuring the Earth’s magnetic field and ionospheric plasmas. The first launch is anticipated in late 2027, with the remaining two following in 2028.
NanoMagSat serves as a successor to ESA's Swarm mission, a decade-long endeavor utilizing three larger satellites for magnetic field study. Data collected by NanoMagSat will enhance scientists’ comprehension of the magnetic field and contribute significantly to space weather research. “NanoMagSat is a great example of the complementarity of small missions to larger ones,” stated Florian Deconinck, vice president of growth at Open Cosmos. “A small satellite size makes it ideal to minimize electromagnetic noise, and be deployed in constellations for better spatio-temporal coverage, all within the efficient Scout programmatic constraint.”
Open Cosmos heads a collaborative team involving organizations from Denmark, France, Norway, and Spain. These partners contribute the necessary instruments for the satellites, as well as crucial components such as the boom and star trackers. Simonetta Cheli, director of Earth observation programs at ESA, commented: “NanoMagSat is an exemplary addition to the Scout program, blending innovation, efficiency, and scientific excellence. This mission reinforces Europe’s leadership in Earth observation and fosters impactful collaborations across industry and research institutions.”
Rafel Jorda Siquier, chief executive and founder of Open Cosmos, added: “This mission demonstrates how small satellites can deliver impactful science, advancing our understanding of Earth’s magnetic field and ionospheric environment.” The NanoMagSat contract is one of several recent successes for Open Cosmos. In May, they secured a €60 million contract to develop a seven-satellite constellation for the Greek government, offering Earth observation, Internet of Things, and Automatic Identification System services.