e.Inspector Spacecraft - Nanosats Database

Satellite	e.Inspector (e-INSPECTOR)
Form factor	CubeSat
Units or mass	12U
Status	not launched, expected in 2027
Launcher	not launched
Organisation	Politecnico di Milano
Institution	University
Entity	Academic / Education
Nation (HQ)	Italy
Nation (AIT)	?
Manufacturer	AIVT by ?
Operator	?
Oneliner	Flying around the VESPA debris to precisely reconstruct its shape and dynamics in preparation of its capture for removal.
Description	To rendezvous with and image a European space debris at high resolution. The ESA funded e.Inspector mission currently in phase B, aims at flying around the VESPA debris to precisely reconstruct its shape and dynamics in preparation of its capture for removal. The consortium, led by PoliMi, is sizing a 12U CubeSat, equipped with COTS VIS and IR imagers, for multispectral measurements exploitation to enhance performances in relative navigation and target inspection. A dedicated IP-based GNC SW is being developed to manage the whole relative operations, from far to close. A specific processing HW architecture was designed and PIL tests are foreseen to start in short. HIL tests will follow in the GNC PoliMi dark room to verify and confirm the whole HW\SW chain from cameras to relative state reconstruction before entering the next project phase. To be flexible with respect to launcher release and target debris location at launch, e.Inspector is equipped with qualified electric propulsion currently undergoing endurance tests.
Notes
Sources	[1] [2] [3]
Photo sources	[1]
COTS subsystems	THRUSTER - T4i
Subsystems sources	[1]
Keywords	Propulsion, Free-Flying Inspector, Formation flying

Last modified: 2025-01-01