Forthcoming Announcement of Opportunity for LightShip-1
The European Space Agency (ESA) Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration (HRE) intends to release an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for science Payloads of Opportunity on board of the LightShip-1 spacecraft. It is currently planned to release the AO at the end of April 2025.
Background
The purpose of this pre-announcement is to inform the community of the impending AO and to provide preliminary information. A provisional schedule of milestones is provided as well.
ESA’s LightShip Propulsive Tug is a Mars infrastructure concept. Each LightShip would be able to deliver other spacecraft (i.e., passengers) to Mars. After delivering one or more ‘passenger’ spacecraft, the LightShip Propulsive Tug would be placed in a service orbit, 5720 km altitude and 20° inclination, from which it would deliver data relay and navigation services.
The LightShip Propulsive Tug is intended to be able to accommodate science payloads of opportunity. The plan to launch multiple LightShips opens opportunities for network science, and their high orbit makes the platform suitable for atmospheric monitoring.
The first mission, LightShip-1 with a planned launch date in 2032, includes not only the LightShip Propulsive Tug but also its first passenger, a low-altitude Mars orbiter called SpotLight, whose primary objective includes high-resolution surface mapping. The LightShip-1 mission is currently under industrial Phase A/B1 study.
LightShip Propulsive Tug Science Themes and Objectives
In 2024, ESA convened an Instrument Definition Team (IDT) to define appropriate and compelling science themes which could be addressed using the LightShip Propulsive Tug platform and strategically important exploration themes. The relevant science themes and objectives for the planned AO, along with key investigations and measurements needed to address them, are described in the IDT report and Dust and Debris Monitor Strawman.
Strawman Payload of Opportunity for LightShip-1
In Table 1, the strawman payload for LightShip-1 Propulsive Tug platform is presented. This is a proof of concept and does not represent any pre-selection by ESA of instruments or techniques to address the mission science themes. It should be noted that the Dust / Debris monitor has been incorporated by ESA after completion of the IDT report.
Table 1: Strawman payload for the LightShip Tug
| Instrument | Mass including maturity margin (kg) | Parameters measured |
| Sub-mm sounder | 18.7 | wind, temperature, volatiles |
| Thermal IR mapper | 9.6 | temperature, dust, column H2O vapour |
| Multiband Imaging Suite | 3.6 | Dust presence, cloud, dust properties |
| Near-IR Spectral Imaging | 3.6 | dust, H2O vapour, O2, surface pressure |
| Dust / Debris Monitor | 6.2 | Number density & size distribution of particulates in space |
| Total | 41.7 |
SpotLight Science Themes and Objectives
In parallel to the IDT, ESA also convened a Measurement Definition Team (MDT) to define appropriate and compelling science objectives which could be addressed using the SpotLight (i.e., the passenger spacecraft for the LightShip-1 mission). The work performed by the MDT is described in the MDT report. High-resolution surface mapping, which is the primary mission of SpotLight, is not part of the planned AO. Resource allocation for the Spotlight science payload of opportunity is currently TBC, pending feedback from industry.
Anticipated scope of the AO
ESA intends to release an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for LightShip-1 science Payloads of Opportunity:
- A mass allocation for the LightShip-1 spacecraft science payload of opportunity is already available and is confirmed to be part of the AO.
- A mass allocation for the Spotlight science payload of opportunity is pending feedback from industry.
- High-resolution surface mapping, which is the primary mission of SpotLight, is not part of the planned AO. There will be later opportunities for science community involvement in this part of the mission.
- It is intended that investigations using spacecraft subsystems (radio science, radiation monitor science etc) will be conducted on the mission; however, such investigations will not be included in the present AO while the hardware systems are in definition, and will be the subject of a future AO.
- Proposals for free-flying passenger spacecraft (smallsats, cubesats) are not being solicited in the present AO.
Eligibility
The planned AO will only accept proposals for Payloads of Opportunity led by institutions in ESA member states, co-operating state or associate member states: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
No international agreements for contributed instruments are in place at this time, but this is subject to further discussion and approval of ESA member states.
Provisional schedule
The following schedule describes the anticipated major milestones of the LightShip-1 science payload of opportunity AO. These dates are subject to change.
Table 2: Provisional schedule
| Release of AO intention and community briefing | End of February 2025 |
| Release of AO | End of April 2025 |
| Deadline for Letter of Intent (LoI) to Propose | 13 May 2025 13:00 CEST |
| Community briefing (only for submitted LoI) | 14 May 2025 |
| Deadline for proposals | 30 June 2025 13:00 CEST |
| Letter of Endorsement (LoE) of Lead Funding Agencies | Due with proposals |
| Review of proposals | July 2025 |
| Preliminary instrument selections announced (target) | September 2025 |
In line with the industrial development of the flight system, the goal for the proposed instrument is to reach a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 5 at mission System Requirements Review (SRR), currently planned for Q1 2027. To support the selected instrument teams in the instrument concept maturation, including design and interfaces, ESA plans to issue dedicated maturation contracts to each selected instrument team with a maximum duration of 6 months. More information on the process for these contracts will be made available upon the issue of the AO.
Point of contacts national agencies
| Austria | ALR@ffg.at |
| Belgium | Tom.Verbeke@belspo.be |
| Canada | esa_programme-esa_program@asc-csa.gc.ca |
| Czech Republic | ondrej.rohlik@md.gov.cz |
| Denmark | UFS-FVI-RUM@ufm.dk |
| Estonia | tonis.eerme@techandspace.ee Madis.Vooras@eas.ee |
| Finland | Pauli.Stigell@businessfinland.fi |
| France | jean.blouvac@cnes.fr Pierre.Emmery@cnes.fr |
| Germany | ESA-HRE-Delegation@dlr.de |
| Greece | anezina.solomonidou@hsc.gov.gr |
| Hungary | spaceindustry@ngm.gov.hu zsofia.kerepesi@ngm.gov.hu |
| Ireland | SciSpacE@enterprise-ireland.com |
| Italy | hme@asi.it |
| Latvia | Kaspars.Karolis@izm.gov.lv |
| Luxemburg | bob.lamboray@space-agency.lu |
| The Netherlands | d.vanbeekhuizen@spaceoffice.nl |
| Norway | hredelegation@spaceagency.no |
| Poland | agniezska.kuczala@mein.gov.pl ewa.zysnarska@polsa.gov.pl |
| Portugal | del.esa.hre@ptspace.pt |
| Romania | Flaviu.raducanu@rosa.ro |
| Slovenia | iza.trsar@gov.si space.mgts@gov.si |
| Spain | esa@cdti.es |
| Sweden | kristine.dannenberg@snsa.se |
| Switzerland | space@sbfi.admin.ch |
| United Kingdom | SpaceExploration@ukspaceagency.gov.uk |
Disclaimer
By publishing this pre-announcement, ESA is under no obligation to issue the planned AO and solicit proposals. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this pre-announcement are incurred completely at the submitter’s own risk.
Community briefing of 28th February 2025
The slides of the community briefing can be found here and the recording is available for viewing here.
Contact
Questions or comments about this pre-announcement can be addressed to LightShip_Science@esa.int