Europe’s orbital infrastructure faces growing debris risks as a new universal connector test aims to service satellites instead of abandoning them in space.
Testing the Orbital Connector in France
A European consortium coordinated by Thales Alenia Space in France tested a universal connector in a laboratory setting to enable servicing spacecraft to dock with and transfer power to disabled satellites, El Ecosistema Startup reported. The technical name for the hardware is the common passive interface, or CPI. It is designed to withstand orbital operations and facilitate robotic docking between equipment built by different manufacturers.
The project ran from January 2024 to December 2025 with funding from the Horizon Europe program and a European contribution of approximately 1.9 million euros, according to El Ecosistema Startup. The prototype currently sits at Technology Readiness Level 3, meaning it has only undergone laboratory validation and has never experienced the vacuum of space or solar radiation.
Achieving Interoperability Between European Interfaces
The core achievement of the recent trials involved mechanical and electrical interoperability between three previously incompatible European interfaces known as HOTDOCK, SIROM, and iSSI.
Researchers modified connector symmetry to allow the systems to communicate and transfer power through a shared connection during tests on a robotic testbench with a simulated satellite. Sener in Spain, Space Applications Services in Belgium, and iBOSS in Germany participated in the development work alongside the French coordinator.
“Incorporating new sensors, processors, and graphics units for artificial intelligence into satellites already in flight,” said Mehmed Yüksel, a researcher at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, regarding potential applications beyond basic repairs.
The most immediate use case involves star trackers, which are devices that allow spacecraft to determine their orientation by observing stars. If those instruments fail, the vehicle loses its ability to point antennas and scientific instruments. A standardized interface would allow operators to install a new sensor without replacing the entire satellite platform.
In-Orbit Services Market Grows Amid Orbital Congestion
The global market for in-orbit services is projected to grow from 2.4 billion dollars to 9.8 billion dollars by 2036, according to a ResearchAndMarkets report from November 2026. That research notes a compound annual growth rate of 15.1 percent as operators prioritize maintaining existing assets over launching replacements. Commercial missions like Northrop Grumman Mission Extension Vehicles have already demonstrated the commercial viability of dock-and-extend operations in geostationary orbit.
At the same time, CelesTrak data shows approximately 17,000 satellites now orbit Earth, up from roughly 1,000 during the theatrical release of the film Gravity. Starlink alone accounts for about 11,000 of those active objects, turning disabled satellites into severe collision hazards that can generate dangerous debris fields.
Institutional Backing and the Road to 2030
The European Commission and the European Space Agency backed a joint initiative known as ISOS in June 2026 with support from 10 European nations, aiming for a pilot mission by 2030 that includes inspection, repositioning, and debris removal.
The European Space Agency also signed a contract with ClearSpace in September 2026 to advance the Phoenix vehicle for extending the operational life of geostationary satellites. Meanwhile, Denmark-based Space Inventor and Astroscale Japan announced a joint in-orbit servicing capability in September 2026 based on standardized mechanical and electrical interfaces integrated during manufacturing.
The current CPI prototype remains larger than a flight-ready version, and the broader industry has not yet adopted a universal standard. The system depends on both continued technical maturation and commercial willingness from manufacturers to alter their satellite designs.
