Space Inventor’s EDISON IOD Spacecraft Achieves Key Milestone on ESA-Funded Mission: Successfully Passes Flight Acceptance Review

Space Inventor’s EDISON IOD Spacecraft Achieves Key Milestone on ESA-Funded Mission: Successfully Passes Flight Acceptance Review

Danish space technology specialist Space Inventor, which recently opened one of Europe’s most advanced satellite factories, has reached a significant milestone marking remarkable progress for the In-Orbit Demonstration mission, developed under contract with the European Space Agency. As part of the mission, Space Inventor has recently become a licensed spacecraft operator under the Outer Space Act.

Aalborg, August 8, 2024 - Space Inventor, a specialist in small satellite production and space equipment since 2015, has successfully completed the crucial ESA Flight Acceptance Review (FAR) for its EDISON spacecraft. The EDISON mission is designed to provide significant flight heritage for major equipment from no fewer than three external industrial partners.

The EDISON mission, set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 in November 2024, will showcase the spaceworthiness of cutting-edge space technologies developed by Australian Neumann Space Pty Ltd, French ION-X, and French Infinite Orbits SAS. Funded by ESA under the innovative Pioneer program, this mission aims to evaluate and support qualified providers of pioneering space-based services.

Specially designed by Space Inventor for this mission, the EDISON spacecraft will perform several months of orbital maneuvers to validate the payloads of its mission partners. To support this mission, Space Inventor has established its own ground station network and has recently become a licensed spacecraft operator under the Outer Space Act. This noteworthy achievement enables Space Inventor to offer mission activities through all phases of an advanced mission’s lifecycle; from early mission definition through Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT), launch, in-orbit operations by Space Inventor's team of trained operators, to final decommissioning and spacecraft de-orbiting.

This FAR milestone with ESA not only underscores the collaborative spirit of the mission but also propels Space Inventor's In-Orbit Demonstration commercial activities moving forward.

• This successful ESA Flight Acceptance Review reflects Space Inventor’s commitment to supporting our partners in these crucial demonstration activities, states Space Inventor’s CEO and Founder, Karl Kaas.
• ESA and we are confident that the EDISON mission will meet its objectives and propel our collective advancements in space technology, Kaas adds.

For further information, please contact:
EDISON Cooperation Leader Ole Hartnack, Space Inventor, ole.hartnack@space-inventor.com
Karl Kaas, Founder & CEO, Space Inventor A/S, +45 31 20 82 10 / karl@space-inventor.com
PR: Jacob Lange, Lange PR ApS, +45 20 76 30 20 / jacob@langepr.dk  

About Space Inventor
Since 2015, Space Inventor has been a significant player in the small satellite market. Among its many milestones, the company developed the world’s smallest geostationary communications satellite, launched into orbit by SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket in April 2023. Read more on www.space-inventor.com