The European Space Agency’s in-space transportation activities continue to progress with FLPP, ESA’s programme for future space transportation. In-Space Proof-of-Concepts (InSPoC) 2 and 3 have now completed their current phases, delivering results that advance Europe’s capabilities in cryogenic refilling and intelligent operations.
InSPoC-2: In-orbit cryogenic propellant storage and refilling
Preparation Phase
InSPoC-2 has now completed its Preparation Phase for in-orbit cryogenic propellant storage and refilling. Over the past ten months, five industrial consortia led by ArianeGroup GmbH, S.A.B. Aerospace S.R.O, The Exploration Company, GMV Aerospace and Defence, and MT Aerospace AG:
- analysed the in-space refilling ecosystem and use cases for cryogenic propellant storage and refilling,
- performed trade-off analyses,
- began collaborative designs of cryogenic coupling ports for in-orbit refilling,
- developed conceptual designs of the functional chains and interfaces needed to store and transfer propellant in orbit,
- synthesised the conceptual design for a demonstrator,
- prepared the project’s roadmap up to the in-orbit demonstration.
InSPoC-2 Executive Summaries
Click to view executive summaries from the projects
The work includes concepts for interoperable refilling interfaces and cryogenic coupling ports, as well as an initial conceptual design for an in-orbit demonstrator and plans for commercial maturation of in-orbit refilling. This phase forms a key step on the roadmap towards a cryogenic in-orbit demonstration around 2030.
Following the Preparation Phase, the InSPoC-2 Definition Phase will open for parallel contracts in early 2026. The Invitation to Tender will be issued in restricted competition for prime contractors; new subcontractors are welcome to join the consortia.
InSPoC-3: On-board and shared intelligence
Ideation Phase
InSPoC-3 has completed its nine-month ideation and preliminary system study on on-board and shared intelligence. parallel consortia worked on the ideation phase – OHB Digital Connect GmbH, GMV Aerospace and Defence S.A.U., Zaitro s.r.o., Huld s.r.o., Orbital Paradigm SL, Blackswan Space, and Space ScAvengers. The consortia examined four main problem domains:
- on-board autonomy and reconfigurability,
- on-board safety and longevity,
- shared intelligence for advanced cooperation,
- spacecraft fleet management.
Activities covered modular, software-defined architectures, over-the-air updates, AI-enabled autonomy, digital twins, intelligent networking and concepts for a future space logistics operating system.
InSPoC-3 Executive Summaries
Click to view executive summaries from the projects
The consortia identified how some of the latest software, data science and artificial intelligence techniques can be used to build new technologies that could address these upcoming space-tug needs. The study culminated in designing an in-orbit demonstration that could be performed to de-risk these on-board and shared intelligence technologies.
The InSPoC-3 Preparation Phase will begin in early 2026, open to parallel contracts in early competition. It will refine conceptual designs of key building blocks and the InSPoC-3 in-orbit demonstration.
European coopetition in space
A joint workshop in April 2025 brought the InSPoC-2 and InSPoC-3 teams together first within their respective projects, and then in a combined session focused on shared challenges and interface alignment. InSPoC-2 and –3 met together again in October, this time with InSPoC-1, to consolidate the outcomes of the projects and integrate docking, refilling, cryogenics and intelligence altogether.
The InSPoC-2 consortia compared their design approaches and worked to align cryogenic use cases, requirements and terminology. They also began sharing early interface needs for refilling operations and identified the critical building blocks and subsystems that must be matured to support interoperable designs.
The InSPoC-3 consortia met with space tug system builders to define which technologies should be prioritised for a future in-orbit demonstration. The consortia also defined a first classification of autonomy levels for space logistics.
This collaborative format supports European coordination on topics such as cryogenic coupler requirements, intelligent networking, and user needs for future space-tug builders, and establishes the foundations of a common in-space logistics architecture.
Insights from the InSPoC-2 Preparation Phase and InSPoC-3 Ideation Phase were shared with the European SpaceTech community at the fourth session of the In-Space Transportation Club on 9 December 2025.