Funded through the Italian Space Agency, ASI, the Milani CubeSat was shown to the press at the premises of its prime contractor Tyvak International in Turin. It will now be flown to ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre in the Netherlands, where Hera is currently undergoing pre-flight testing, for integration with its mothership and subsequent validation of the inter-satellite link system that will connect Hera, Milani and Juventas as they fly around the Didymos system.

“This is a paramount achievement for Tyvak International,” explains Margherita Cardi, VP Programmes for Tyvak International and Milani Programme Manager. “Milani is now ready to be delivered to ESA and undergo the system tests with Hera, to ensure the validation of the interfaces and the end-to-end communication prior to the launch. The journey is not over, but we are a step closer to Didymos, and it was a real honour to host here at Tyvak all the persons who contributed to this amazing project and celebrate together this achievement.”