Space Based Observations Mission (SBOM)
Client: European Space Agency, Space Security Programme (S2P)
Creotech’s role: consortium leader, mission design based on the HyperSat platform
Space debris monitoring directly from orbit
Millimetre-level precision in detecting objects in low Earth orbit
Goal: a debris-monitoring satellite in low Earth orbit by 2028
The number of objects orbiting the Earth is increasing year on year. Debris from old satellites, spent rocket stages and small fragments resulting from collisions pose a real threat to active missions. Most of these objects are too small to be effectively tracked from the Earth’s surface.
SBOM is a mission designed to fill this gap. The small satellite will carry an optical telescope capable of detecting objects measuring millimetres in low Earth orbit (LEO) and metres in geostationary orbit (GEO). Data from orbit will complement ground-based observations and enable a more accurate assessment of the risks associated with space debris.
Creotech Instruments is responsible for the concept of the entire mission, based on its proprietary HyperSat satellite platform. The project continues the work begun as part of the ESA VISDOMS mission. Once the preliminary phase is complete, we plan to hold discussions with ESA regarding the next stages, including the construction and launch of the satellite.