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Nyx (spacecraft)

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Nyx
ManufacturerThe Exploration Company
Country of origin European Space Agency
OperatorThe Exploration Company
ApplicationsSpace logistics, cargo spacecraft
Websitewww.exploration.space/nyx
Specifications
Spacecraft typeReusable space capsule
Production
StatusIn development
Maiden launch2028 (planned)
Related spacecraft
Launch vehicleAriane 6

Nyx is a reusable spacecraft under development by the European company The Exploration Company (TEC) with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA)[1] for cargo (and potentially crewed) missions to low Earth orbit and beyond.[2] It is designed to provide independent European access to space logistics services, including resupply of space stations.[3][4][5][6] The first launch of Nyx is expected in 2028.[7][8][9]

Overview

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Nyx is a modular space capsule concept intended to transport cargo to and from orbital destinations such as the International Space Station and future commercial space stations. The spacecraft is designed with reusability in mind, aiming to reduce mission costs and increase launch flexibility. The spacecraft is expected to be compatible with multiple launch vehicles and is part of broader European efforts to strengthen autonomy in space transportation systems.[10] Nyx features a pressurised capsule and a service module. The capsule is capable of carrying several tonnes of cargo and includes avionics, propulsion, thermal protection systems, and parachutes designed for atmospheric re-entry and recovery. The service module provides further propulsion and maneuvering capabilities.[11]

Nyx compared to other European reusable spacecraft: Space Rider and Vortex-S
Benjamin Haddad and Ursula von der Leyen with a crewed Nyx model at the International Space Summit in 2026

History

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The Nyx program is led by The Exploration Company, a European aerospace startup founded in 2021. The project has received support from the European Space Agency (ESA) through various funding and partnership initiatives. In 2023 and 2024, the company conducted early design and testing phases, with plans for demonstration missions later in the decade.[12]

On 31 March 2025, TES announced that it had successfully completed a set of pressure tests on the Nyx structural test model. The first launch was planned for 2028 at that time.[7] In August 2025, the Nyx spacecraft passed Phase 1 of the International Space Station Safety Review.[11] In October 2025, TEC concluded an extensive wind-tunnel testing campaign, validating Nyx's behaviour across the entire flight regime from subsonic to hypersonic conditions, at the DLR's facilities in Cologne.[13] In November 2025, TEC completed an initial test campaign of the Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris (MMOD) shield of Nyx at the German Institute for High-Speed Dynamics.[13] In December 2025, TEC awarded a contract to Redwire Belgium to build two IDSS-compliant International Berthing and Docking Mechanisms (IBDMs) for the Nyx spacecraft.[14]

In January 2026, TEC conducted 20 splashdown tests with a 1:4 scale model of the Nyx capsule at the National Research Council's Institute of Marine Engineering in Rome.[15][16] In February 2026, TEC received the pressurised module (from CNIM Systèmes Industriels) and the front shield (from PERSICO GROUP) for the structural test model of Nyx.[17] In March 2026, TEC completed initial pressure testing of the Nyx structural test model pressurised structure.[18] In April 2026, The dynamic vibration test campaign of the Nyx structural test model begun at ESTEC.[19] The campaign ended in May 2026 after 69 individual tests with multiple payload configurations.[20] In June 2026, TEC completed a drop test in the Mojave Desert in which they dropped dedicated Drop Test Vehicle and tested both the drogue parachutes and main parachutes. A helicopter hoisted the vehicle up to 2.8 km and released it over a designated landing site. The full descent sequence went as planned with successful deployment of both the drogue parachutes and the mains.[21]

On 10 September 2026, during the International Space Summit in Paris, ESA awarded a €760 million ALADDIN (LEO Cargo Return Service phase 2) contract to The Exploration Company for up to three space station cargo flights of Nyx.[1][22] On the same day, it was announced that the company signed a contract with Arianespace to launch the first Nyx flight on Ariane 6.[23][24] That flight was expected no later than 2029.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 Parsonson, Andrew (2026-09-10). "ESA Awards The Exploration Company a €760M Space Station Cargo Contract". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2026-09-10.
  2. ↑ Berger, Eric (2026-09-09). "Europe may finally have found a space entrepreneur who is meeting the moment". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
  3. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2026-06-05). "The Exploration Company completes drop test of Nyx capsule". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2026-09-07.
  4. ↑ Rustici, Camille (2025-06-18). "Nyx: Europe's Autonomous Space Capsule for Cargo and Human Missions". DirectIndustry e-Magazine. Retrieved 2026-09-07.
  5. ↑ Berger, Eric (2026-07-13). "A "disaster waiting to happen"? Industry officials worry about Crew Dragon availability". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2026-09-07.
  6. ↑ Kotzakioulafis, Fotios; Puglia, Riccardo; Baki, Dana; Kirasich, Mark; Wagner, Erika (2025). "Introducing the Exploration Company's Spacecraft Nyx Earth". IAF Space Transportation Solutions and Innovations Symposium. International Astronautical Federation (IAF): 516–521. doi:10.52202/083092-0050. ISBN 979-8-3313-2940-2.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  7. 1 2 Parsonson, Andrew (2026-04-07). "The Exploration Company Completes Nyx Test Model Pressure Tests". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2026-09-07.
  8. ↑ "Avec Nyx, l'Europe veut retrouver son indépendance spatiale grâce au secteur privé". RFI (in French). 2024-11-19. Retrieved 2026-09-07.
  9. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2026-09-10). "The Exploration Company wins ESA contract for Nyx mission to ISS". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2026-09-10.
  10. ↑ "Nyx Mission Possible". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2026-09-07.
  11. 1 2 Parsonson, Andrew (2025-08-26). "The Exploration Company's Nyx Spacecraft Passes Initial ISS Safety Review". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  12. ↑ "NYX | The Exploration Company". BSGN. Retrieved 2026-09-07.
  13. 1 2 Parsonson, Andrew (2025-11-14). "The Exploration Company Tests Nyx Micrometeoroid Shielding". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
  14. ↑ Parsonson, Andrew (2025-12-20). "Redwire Tapped to Provide Docking Mechanisms for Nyx Earth Capsule". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  15. ↑ Parsonson, Andrew (2026-02-05). "The Exploration Company Completes Nyx Splashdown Tests". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  16. ↑ Rainews, Redazione di (2026-02-10). Futuro24: test di ammaraggio per navette spaziali (in Italian). Retrieved 2026-02-11 – via www.rainews.it.
  17. ↑ "Andrew Parsonson (@andrewparsonson.bsky.social)". Bluesky Social. 2026-02-24. Archived from the original on 2026-02-24. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  18. ↑ Parsonson, Andrew (2026-04-07). "The Exploration Company Completes Nyx Test Model Pressure Tests". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
  19. ↑ Parsonson, Andrew (2026-04-23). "The Exploration Company Signs Agreement for Nyx Separation System". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
  20. ↑ Parsonson, Andrew (2026-05-20). "The Exploration Company Completes Nyx Test Model Vibration Testing". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
  21. ↑ Bergin, Chris (2026-06-04). "The Exploration Company advances Nyx parachute recovery". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
  22. ↑ "ESA signs service contract with The Exploration Company for its Nyx vehicle under 'ALADDIN', the European autonomous cargo capsule project". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2026-09-10.
  23. ↑ Parsonson, Andrew (2026-09-10). "The Exploration Company Books Ariane 6 Flight for Nyx Demo Mission". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2026-09-10.
  24. ↑ Poisson, Juliette (2026-09-10). "Arianespace signs agreement with The Exploration Company to launch Nyx capsule with Ariane 6". Newsroom Arianespace. Retrieved 2026-09-10.
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