The EU and a group of European countries have signed a joint declaration backing a planned pilot mission to carry out tasks in orbit.
The declaration supports the In-Space Operations and Services (ISOS) pilot mission, which the Commission described as a step towards a European in-orbit service infrastructure.
It was signed on Tuesday at the International Airshow in Berlin.
Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and the European Union signed the declaration.
Germany, France, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain had already signed the same declaration last year, it said. The declaration remains open for additional signatories.
What the ISOS pilot mission would do
ISOS would cover in-orbit services such as capturing and repositioning satellites, inspecting and repairing them, and removing space debris, according to the Commission.
It also listed in-space logistics and in-space manufacturing among the planned capabilities.
The European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA) also signed the declaration, “sealing their long-standing in-space cooperation.”
“Europe maintains its leadership role for action in space by taking the first step towards building a new capacity for in-space operations and services,” Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said in a statement.
