DEPLOYABLE REFLECTOR FOR CUBE- AND SMALLSATS - EXPRO+

European Space Agency (ESA)

Published: Jul 29, 2026

Updated: Aug 6, 2026

About This Opportunity

This is a services contract in the information and communication technology sector. Located in International, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums.

Published through ESA - European Space Agency, a multilateral development bank that follows standardized international procurement guidelines. Projects funded by multilateral institutions are generally open to international bidders from eligible member countries for services in the information and communication technology sector. Service contracts are typically evaluated on both technical quality and price, and may require bidders to demonstrate relevant experience and qualified personnel. This is an advance notice — the formal tender is expected to be published shortly. Interested parties can use this time to prepare documentation and identify potential partners.

Description

Objective: To design, manufacture and test a 1m deployable offset fed reflector antenna for small/cube satellites suitable formissions up to Ka-band.Description:A strong need for deployable Ka-band high gain antennas for cubesat and small satellites for various applications (TTC, payload data downlink, black hole observation VLBI (very long baseline interferometry), rain/precipitation observation and more) has been identified, hence, the importance to develop this technology to further maturity, which is currently notavailable in Europe.The antenna to be developed is 1m (scalable up to 3m) diameter deployable reflector antenna in an offsetconfiguration (reduction of aperture blockage) suitable for missions up to Ka-band. An engineering model including the reflector, the boom and the feed will be manufactured and tested demonstrating the critical functions of the element in a relevant environment. The testing will include, as a minimum, surface accuracy measurement after deployment, deployment test in representative environment (TVAC), vibration tests, thermal cycling, RF performance tests, passive intermodulation (PIM) tests at sample level.This activity encompasses the following tasks:- Preliminary design (including de-risking activities of new, modified or unmodified (re-used) modules with lower TRL and/or higher risk)- Detailed design (including de-risking activities of unmodified (re-used) modules with lower TRL and/or higher risk).- Antenna manufacture and integration.- Test campaign and development roadmap.

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from ESA - European Space Agency and was originally published on July 29, 2026. Last refreshed today. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About European Space Agency (ESA)

European Space Agency (ESA) has issued 717 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 258 currently open and 173 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Information & Communication Technology, Environment & Climate, and Transport & Logistics. Tenders span 10 countries including Denmark, Czech Republic, and Slovenia. Notices are distributed via ESA - European Space Agency. Most recent publication: July 29, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

How can I submit a bid?

Visit ESA - European Space Agency to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions provided by the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by European Space Agency (ESA) in International. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Services contract in the Information & Communication Technology sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in International. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.