Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 19, 2026

E.Inspector

The e.Inspector satellite is a future 12U CubeSat under development by the European Space Agency (ESA) for demonstrating on-orbit satellite servicing and space debris mitigation technologies. The spacecraft's goal is to perform a close-up inspection of a piece of space debris of European origin, possibly a Vega rocket's VESPA adapter or the PROBA-1 satellite, using visible and thermal imaging and to test multispectral image-based relative navigation. The spacecraft is being built by an Italian consortium of Politecnico di Milano, Leonardo, LeafSpace, and T4i under the ESA's General Support Technology Programme (GSTP). It is expected to launch in 2027.

Last revised
Jun 19, 2026
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e.Inspector
Mission typeTechnology demonstration
Operator European Space Agency
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type12U CubeSat
ManufacturerItaly Politecnico di Milano, Leonardo, LeafSpace, T4i
Start of mission
Launch date2027 (planned)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric

The e.Inspector satellite is a future 12U CubeSat under development by the European Space Agency (ESA) for demonstrating on-orbit satellite servicing and space debris mitigation technologies.12345 The spacecraft's goal is to perform a close-up inspection of a piece of space debris of European origin, possibly a Vega rocket's VESPA adapter67 or the PROBA-1 satellite, using visible and thermal imaging and to test multispectral image-based relative navigation.8 The spacecraft is being built by an Italian consortium of Politecnico di Milano, Leonardo, LeafSpace, and T4i3 under the ESA's General Support Technology Programme (GSTP).9 It is expected to launch in 2027.19

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Kulu, Erik. "e.Inspector". Nanosats Database. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  2. "e.Inspector: a 12U microsat to support future IOS mission by VIS-IR close imagìng Proba I debris".
  3. "e-INSPECTOR". ASI. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  4. "A younger generation designs satellite to clear space – The Clean Space blog". blogs.esa.int. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  5. "Integrated GNC Design and Implementation for e.Inspector mission: multi-spectral imaging for spacecraft debris in preparation to active removal".
  6. "Proba-V on Vespa adapter". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  7. Borelli, Giacomo; Gaias, Gabriella; Nakajima, Yu; Colombo, Camilla; Capuano, Vincenzo; Saggiomo, Fabio; Leccese, Giuseppe; Natalucci, Silvia (2024-07-01). "Mission analysis and guidance and control for the SpEye inspection CubeSat". Acta Astronautica. 220: 75–87. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.04.025. hdl:11311/1266526. ISSN 0094-5765.
  8. e.Inspector, a 12U microsat to support future IOS missions by VIS-IR imaging Proba I
  9. "General Support Technology Programme" (PDF).