AOS-p reached Phase B1 earlier in 2024, meaning the platform and partners have been decided upon and on-board payloads have been selected. The newly signed GSTP contract will target the development of the mission all the way through to Phase E1, including launch and early operation (LEOP) and the first demonstration, although launch segment and ground segments will be provided by the Norwegian industry as separate activities not relying on GSTP funding.
“The two AOS missions will provide great opportunities to bridge the gap between existing technologies and their full demonstration, validation and verification in orbit,” says Nader Alagha, ESA’s project manager for the AOS-P and AOS-D missions.

The AOS-P mission began its definition phase in 2021 starting from Phase 0 and Phase A of the technology development as a GSTP Building Blocks Framework activity. It was then followed on under the GSTP Element 3: Fly.

In the same theme, GSTP has recently completed an activity initiated by the Norwegian Space Agency using artificial intelligence to improve tracking of illegal fishing boats.

AOS-P and AOS-D will join the rest of GSTP Element 3’s in orbit technology demonstration fleet, which includes the soon-to-launch Proba-3 mission and another recent addition, LUMIO.