Redwire selected as prime contractor for ESA Skinsat VLEO mission

Summary points:

• Redwire Corporation in Jacksonville, Fla., will act as prime contractor for ESA’s Skimsat mission.
• Thales Alenia Space in the UK will provide the electric propulsion subsystem.
• Skimsat will use Redwire’s Phantom spacecraft platform to operate in Very Low Earth Orbit.

PARIS - Redwire Corporation, a provider of space and defense technology solutions in Jacksonville, Fla., said it has reached an agreement with Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales in Paris and Leonardo in Rome, with support from the European Space Agency (ESA), to serve as prime contractor for the Skimsat mission. Thales Alenia Space in the UK will be a major contributor to the mission and is currently selected to provide the electric propulsion subsystem.

Skimsat is an ESA technology demonstration mission for a small satellite designed to operate in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO). Thales Alenia Space in the United Kingdom will be a major contributor and is expected to provide the electric propulsion subsystem.

VELO advantages

ESA notes that VLEO, typically between 100 and 450 kilometers in altitude, offers several advantages compared to higher orbits. Satellites at these altitudes, often 250 to 350 kilometers, can operate with lower power demands, benefit from reduced communication latency, and achieve higher-resolution Earth observation with smaller payloads. The less severe radiation environment also allows the use of general-purpose terrestrial electronics, while natural atmospheric drag ensures that satellites safely deorbit at the end of their missions, reducing collision risk and debris accumulation. ESA’s Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) demonstrated VLEO’s potential by operating for more than four years at about 250 kilometers using ion propulsion to counter drag.

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The Skimsat mission is funded by ESA’s Preparation and Technology Development elements of Basic Activities and General Support Technology Program. It will use Redwire’s Phantom spacecraft, a European VLEO platform designed to operate in the lower reaches of Earth’s atmosphere. Skimsat aims to improve satellite sustainability and performance while reducing spacecraft mass and cost by enabling operations at lower altitudes.

"Redwire is a global leader in VLEO capabilities and we are grateful for the trust from ESA to accelerate development of the Skimsat mission, as the prime contractor, which could unlock critical infrastructure in VLEO for a wide array of future intelligence, Earth science, and communications missions," said Marc Dielissen, general manager of Redwire Space Belgium.