ESA and European industry align on requirements for advanced in-space cargo and logistics; Invitation to Tender for year-long system studies launched in March
Europe’s in-space logistics infrastructure is taking shape, and the European Space Agency is coordinating with industry to answer critical advanced in-space logistics questions. What matters when designing and transferring in-orbit cargo that works across a multimodal in-space logistics network? How should we design space tugs and depots to ensure their interoperability and compatibility with the widest range of applications?
ESA’s InSPoC-4 initiative is working with European industry to answer these questions – and, eventually, to demonstrate the solutions in orbit. The InSPoC-4 Pitch Day explored these questions with European industry, paving the way for the InSPoC-4 Ideation Phase Invitation to Tender (ITT) that was released in March.
InSPoC-4 brings together the interoperable interfaces developed through InSPoC-1 and -2 – covering rendezvous, docking and refilling – to establish an operational framework for multimodal in-space logistics.
Technologies and Requirements
Participants from across the European SpaceTech community met on 5 February 2026 to discuss technology proposals at the InSPoC-4 Pitch Day. Pitch Days are an important element of FLPP, ESA’s programme for future space transportation, and are designed to bring developers, users and customers into the same conversation early in the development process.
At the InSPoC-4 Pitch Day, technology providers and system integrators presented proposals addressing in-space logistics challenges across the four InSPoC-4 domains:
- Space cargo
- Cargo transfer
- In-orbit maintenance
- Orbital warehouse & parking orbit management
System integrators outlined operational needs and interface constraints they expect future logistics architectures to meet. Technology providers responded with potential solutions.
Following the presentations, participants had the opportunity to express their interest in B2B sessions to discuss potential partnerships and consortia arrangements ahead of the recently published ITT. The ITT is open to all eligible companies in participating Member States, regardless of whether they took part in the Pitch Day.
Hacking the System
As the ITT has already been published, ESA will soon host a “System Hackathon” for the European SpaceTech community and potential customers. Technology providers, system integrators and potential customers will map out use cases and Concept of Operations (ConOps) for in-space logistics. The results of that event will become the blueprint for what the InSPoC-4 companies develop and demonstrate.
As with all FLPP initiatives, InSPoC-4 places early system integrator and customer input at the centre of its approach, rather than adapting solutions to technology developed in isolation. The Hackathon brings users and developers into the same design process early, supporting closer alignment between needs and solutions.
“A key factor in ensuring the effectiveness of the InSPoC-4 Preliminary System Study is to ensure it is driven by customer needs. The ‘System Hackathon’ we are organising will address this objective by bringing together end users and the in-space logistics industry stakeholders to map and flow-down a set of key use cases – covering commercial, institutional and security needs. These will then drive the analysis to ensure utmost impact for the in-space ecosystem,” said Yann Tincelin, InSPoC Programme Manager and acting Technical Officer for InSPoC-4.
From System Studies to In-Orbit Demonstration
The InSPoC-4 ideation phase studies will begin in summer 2026 and conclude in summer 2027. They will focus on the system perspective of in-space logistics before progressing through preparatory, definition, and implementation phases towards an in-orbit demonstration. This incremental approach supports commercially-relevant development and reduces the time it takes for a minimum viable product (MVP) to reach the market.
System integrators and customers shape requirements throughout the process, helping steer developments towards near-term missions and commercially-relevant services. The ITT is open to all eligible companies in participating Member States. Companies joining InSPoC-4 during the ideation phase contribute to the technical architecture and operational frameworks behind Europe’s future orbital logistics capabilities, including reusable space tugs, orbital propellant depots, and the missions that rely on them.