Constellation-ready demisable microsatellite platform to be developed under new ESA project

07 Oct 2026

The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a contract with Hungarian company, C3S, to develop a microsatellite platform adapted for use in satellite communication constellations that is compliant with space-debris regulations.

Through the agreement, C3S will design the platform in the 50 kilograms to 150 kilograms range, as well as the industrial production architecture required for repeatable, constellation-scale manufacturing and deployment for large constellations of more than 100 satellites.

The contract is a part of the Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) 4.0 programme and its Industrial Competitiveness programme line. The Industrial Competitiveness programme line supports industry by helping to de-risk investments into technological development and accelerating industrialisation.

Satellite constellations in low-Earth orbit offer low-latency, global and reliable telecommunications coverage, making them well-suited for applications including direct-to-device and Internet of Things. However, the proliferation of these systems in recent years has underlined two challenges: the ability to produce and launch at high volumes to stay competitive; and the ability to de-orbit end-of-life satellites to mitigate the risk posed by space debris and keep the orbital environment sustainable.

The FLOTTA project aims to address these challenges with a constellation-scale system built from the ground up to comply with Space Debris regulations. Through FLOTTA, C3S will develop a spacecraft structure and avionics design featuring reliable end-of-life de-orbiting, passivation, demisability, trackability and collision avoidance capabilities. The company will also develop the manufacturing approach for series production, factoring manufacturability, integration, testing and deployment into the design. This system is intended to support programmes flying hundreds of spacecrafts without compromising reliability, sustainability, performance or affordability.

C3S leads the project from system requirements and architecture through detailed design, implementation and verification. HPS GmbH participates as a subcontractor, contributing its expertise in deployable antenna solutions.

Laurent Jaffart, Director of ESA’s Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity, said: “Through the decisions of our Member States, ESA is helping European industry build the capabilities needed to shape the future of space communications. This new ESA project with Hungary’s C3S demonstrates what this investment can achieve – and that’s to seamlessly combine innovative spacecraft design and manufacturing together with sustainability. By supporting industry in the development of platforms ready for the demands of tomorrow’s constellations, we are strengthening technological leadership: a clear requirement for Europe to remain competitive, resilient, and responsible in the rapidly evolving space communications landscape.”

Gyula Horváth, CEO and owner of C3S, said: “The challenge with FLOTTA is to design the spacecraft, its production system and its deployment concept for a fundamentally different scale. At volumes of hundreds, manufacturability, integration and testing have to be designed into the platform from the beginning. The hundredth spacecraft has to meet the same standards as the first. For C3S, FLOTTA is about turning more than a decade of spacecraft engineering experience into a platform architecture built for constellation-scale production and deployment. This capability will enable C3S to potentially supply spacecraft for further programmes and constellation-based missions.”