In September 2026, space sector primes and a wide range of emerging technology providers came together for the latest virtual Pitch Day from the FIRST! Team, part of ESA’s future space transportation programme FLPP. Now a regular event in the space transportation calendar, the latest Pitch Day focused on technology disruptors in the Avionics and Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) sphere. This is the eighth campaign for FIRST! and the event brought together service providers, academia, investors, ESA Member State delegates and ESA representatives to share developments, present proposals and make the most of the networking opportunities.

Introducing the session, Luis Escudero, FLPP Technology Disruptors Manager and FIRST! initiative responsible at ESA, emphasised the need for an end-to-end space transportation ecosystem for Europe, capable of providing reliable access to space, reusable launchers and boosters, in-space transportation and return capabilities.

Within this wider ecosystem, the FIRST! initiatives aim to identify and address technology gaps by giving European technology providers opportunities to demonstrate and de-risk disruptive solutions. They use rapid prototyping and testing in an open competition environment to help promising technologies move from ideas towards practical commercial applications, while connecting technology developers with potential customers and investors.

The strong response to the Pitch Day demonstrates the level of interest in this approach. The Avionics and GNC Call for Ideas, which opened earlier this year, generated 65 proposals from 11 countries. Following an initial assessment, the 12 originally proposed topics were consolidated into six areas for the Pitch Day.

Connecting technology developers with industry needs

Before the technology pitches began, participants heard directly from established and emerging space transportation service providers about their requirements and priorities in avionics and GNC. Representatives from ArianeGroup, AVIO, ISAR Aerospace, MaiaSpace, PLD Space, RFA, Thales Alenia Space, The Exploration Company and UARX shared their perspectives, giving technology providers a clearer view of the challenges they are working to address.

These inputs from the space industry provided an important context for the pitches that followed, helping connect technology development with the needs of companies developing and operating future space transportation systems.

The remainder of the day featured presentations from companies selected across six technology areas:

• Demonstrators for Autonomous Flight Termination Systems for space transportation – two companies
• Innovative GNC algorithms and sensors for landing and recovery for space transportation – three companies
• Innovative navigation sensors and algorithms for rendezvous operations – four companies
• On-board data handling using modern architectures for space transportation – four companies
• Sensors for propellant handling and transfer – four companies
• Space-based telemetry and proximity communications – two companies

Together, the pitches showcased a diverse range of approaches to some of the technical challenges facing future launch and in-space transportation systems.

From ideas to opportunities for industry

Beyond the individual technologies presented, the Pitch Day demonstrated the value of bringing different parts of the space transportation ecosystem together. As part of the drive to foster collaboration across Europe, this virtual event offered all those taking part the opportunity to connect with each other beyond the session, driving collaboration and helping to build consortia.

As European space transportation continues to evolve, initiatives such as FIRST! provide a route for innovative companies to engage with the sector, test their technologies and respond to emerging space industry requirements. The Avionics and GNC Pitch Day is the latest step in this process before the ITT, helping to connect technology developers with the organisations that could ultimately deploy their solutions – and identifying the capabilities that will contribute to Europe’s future space transportation systems.

Next steps: New ITT for Avionics and GNC

Concluding the Pitch Day, the FIRST! team announced the forthcoming ITT for Avionics and GNC, which will open before the end of 2026. Proposals are invited from entities in eligible Member States with ESA offering funding, technological guidance and networking opportunities.

• The ITT will be open to all eligible entities, regardless of whether they have participated in the OSIP Call for Ideas or the Pitch Day
• Academia and research organisations are encouraged to partner with at least one commercial company to apply
• Selected projects will run for 12 or 18 months (tbc), with a focus on de-risking key technologies and advancing them toward commercial readiness

ESA’s FIRST!(Future Innovation and Research in Space Transportation!) initiative launched it s seventh Invitation to Tender (ITT) last week, this time on the topic of Structures, Materials, Mechanisms and Processes for Space Transportation. FIRST! focuses on maturing disruptive technologies with a commercial benefit for Europe and is part of FLPP, ESA’s future space transportation programme. This is the first campaign since CM25, the Council at Ministerial level, which took place in November last year, and includes additional possibilities to mature disruptive technologies up to TRL6 with increased ESA budget.

Building on the success of the initial Call for Ideas on Structures, Materials, Mechanisms and Processes which launched in January 26 and generated 117 eligible ideas from 14 Member States, the new ITT follows this month’s successful Pitch Day which saw almost 180 participants from 14 countries across Europe join online for a packed day of presentations and information sharing. In response to the large number of ideas submitted, the ITT is inviting proposals in the following five technical domains:

During the Pitch Day, companies from across Europe presented their ideas within each of these five domains, with a total of 29 pitches taking place across the day and lively Q&A sessions for each topic.

• Disruptive CFRP technologies in cryogenic environment for space transportation:
  (the compatibility of composite materials with cryogenic substances (propellants in particular) is a major issue, and being able to easily store cryo fluids in composite structures is enabling for future space transportation application like space depot)
  
  
• Electromechanical structures for space transportation: (technologies that allow quick and efficient health check for reusable structures or in-orbit structure)

• Mechanisms for space transportation: (deployment, releasing, locking or grabbing mechanisms are key for new space transportation systems like reusable structures or OTVs)

• Optimised materials for composite and / or metallic structures for space transportation:(technologies that bring significant performance improvements in terms of mass, robustness or sustainability)

• Optimised processes for composite and / or metallic structures for space transportation: (technologies that bring significant improvement in terms of recurring costs or sustainability)

FLPP has long recognised the value of, and necessity for, a collaborative approach to developing new space technologies for future space transportation, and offer a range of events and opportunities throughout the year to bring developers, users, investors and ESA experts together at the earliest stages, ensuring that technologies mature with clear commercial applications and fit within the future European space transportation ecosystem. This month’s Pitch Day also offered a successful matchmaking option for companies, enabling them to connect and share ideas in numerous forthcoming B2B sessions and paving the way for collaborations and consortia.

The FIRST! Structures, Materials, Mechanisms and Processes ITT is now open in esa-star, available to entities in FLPP participating Member States depending on their level of subscription and until 27/05/2026 at 13:00 CEST (see details in the ITT). It targets short-term, quick maturation of disruptive technologies which bring significant improvement in terms of performance (mass), recurring or non-recurring costs, or sustainability with high and direct commercial interest, for the benefit of future

This ITT is the first since CM25 and encompasses new possibilities, including an increased budget for technologies up to TRL6. Further updates on the FLPP programme will be shared at the FLPP Autumn Session in Paris on 14 October 2026.

Considering more sustainable methods of developing emerging space transportation technology design is essential in order to secure accessibility to space, avoid impacting negatively on life on Earth and for the profitability of Europe’s space sector. Companies across Europe are developing technologies, design approaches, and materials to improve environmental performance in space transportation. ESA’s programme for the preparation of future space transportation, FLPP, supports this transition by funding development, supporting the development of interoperable infrastructure and embedding sustainability into engineering choices – recognising that solutions must be commercially viable to be adopted in practice, and that targeted support is needed to help bring more sustainable approaches into use.

This work was reflected across two closely linked moments in Paris this month. At ESA’s FLPP Spring Session, eight European companies and research institutes received awards to begin projects under the FIRST! Sustainability campaign. The following day, the programme’s initial Sustainability Workshop provided a more focused working environment.

“The focus is on identifying technologies that reduce environmental impact of space transportation and also have market potential,” said Valère Girardin, FIRST! Sustainability Campaign Manager at FLPP. “If they can be demonstrated, they can become viable business opportunities and generate value.”

The themes originated from industry proposals through FIRST! Sustainability’s Call for Ideas published on the OSIP platform, resulting in a campaign that reflects development priorities already emerging within the sector.

• Space transportation vehicles improving environmental sustainability: PerseiSpace
  
• Processes and manufacturing improving environmental sustainability: 5M
  
• Ground logistics and resource storage improving environmental sustainability: OHB Czech Space
  
• Materials and propellant improving environmental sustainability: Avio, ETH Zürich, Tecnalia, Lofith Composites, and Technische Universität Dresden

“Many of the topics we’re discussing are already coming from engineering teams themselves,” said Margaux Duperray, FLPP System Engineer in Environmental Sustainability. “Developing more sustainable space transportation materials and practices is not always straightforward to integrate, but there is growing recognition that it needs to be considered earlier in system design – both for the environment and because it can support a company’s competitiveness.”

Developing sustainability targets

Opening the Workshop, ESA Chief Sustainability Officer Andrea Vena outlined how the sustainability objectives in ESA’s Green Agenda are beginning to shape programme implementation. Industrial activities accounted for around 85% of ESA’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 and ESA has committed to reducing emissions from its own operational activities by 46% and from supplier-executed activities by 28% by 2030.

Achieving these reductions will depend partly on the earlier integration of ecodesign practices, with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), during system definition phases. An updated LCA Handbook and an environmental data repository maintained by the Clean Space Office are intended to support this shift. At regulatory level, a space-specific environmental footprint standard- Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules for the space sector PEFCR4Space – is being developed with the European Commission and it is expected to be adopted ahead of the planned EU Space Act later in the decade. For industry, this points towards more consistent environmental reporting expectations and a clearer basis for comparing design options.

Together, these developments are shaping how environmental performance is considered in early-stage system trade-offs. Workshop discussions reflected the growing attention to propulsion architecture choices, structural mass optimisation and mission end-of-life strategies, particularly as companies assess future regulatory expectations alongside cost, reliability and performance requirements.

“The FIRST! Sustainability Workshop was a fantastic opportunity to bring together academia, SMEs, large primes, and public organisations around a shared sustainability agenda. Discussions like these are essential to align requirements and build a common, more sustainable European vision that supports concrete, actionable standards for the space sector,” said Jesús Manuel Muñoz Tejeda, CEO of Persei Space, expressing confidence that, through programmes such as FLPP, “Europe is clearly moving in the right direction.”

Industry perspectives on integrating sustainability

“What was encouraging during the Workshop was how actively companies engaged with the discussion,” Margaux Duperray added. “The challenges are not the same for large integrators, SMEs or startups, but bringing those perspectives together helps identify solutions that can work in practice.”

In afternoon splinter sessions, participants worked in mixed groups to explore specific technical and methodological challenges. Participants actively discussed how the awareness of sustainability considerations is increasing, and how the methodological effort required to integrate them into day-to-day engineering practice remains significant, reflecting the desire and the complexity of integrating these approaches into existing engineering workflows.

Amador Garcia, CEO of Lofith Composite, noted that “entering the space sector requires more than just advanced materials; it requires understanding the ecosystem, standards, and processes.” ESA programme support was identified as a key enabler in positioning these technologies within existing frameworks.

Participants also highlighted the need for closer coordination between academia and industry – an approach already reflected in ongoing projects involving mixed consortia.

“Part of ESA’s role is to support industry in developing and testing these approaches,” Valère Girardin noted. “That means providing common tools, demonstrator opportunities and a framework where sustainability can be treated as part of normal engineering decisions.”

ESA also emphasised the need to strengthen the evidence base on environmental impacts, working with industry to close current data gaps and understand where regulatory measures should be targeted in order to be effective and relevant.

For companies developing future launchers and in-space transportation capabilities, sustainability considerations are increasingly entering early design discussions rather than being addressed retrospectively. Through initiatives such as FIRST! Sustainability, FLPP is creating opportunities to explore new technologies and support industry as regulatory conditions evolve.

To engage with FLPP sustainability activities, contact Valère Girardin or Margaux Duperray at ESA: valere.girardin@esa.int – margaux.duperray@esa.int.

Explore open FLPP opportunities here

Related Links

Clean Space Office

ESA Green Agenda

The theme of environmental sustainability took centre stage at the European Space Agency’s FIRST! Sustainability pitch day, where the European space technology community converged on a shared goal: demonstrating that environmental sustainability, business opportunities and performance improvements in space transportation can go hand in hand.

ESA is now inviting proposals for system studies and technology maturation through a new Invitation to Tender (ITT) under the FIRST! Sustainability initiative. Teams with promising technology concepts will receive a 12-month contract to develop their technologies with ESA support, targeting Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4. 

“This initiative ties technical development directly to Europe’s long-term ambitions in space,” said Valère Girardin, FLPP Project Manager at ESA. “We are targeting the kind of capabilities that will make sustainable space transportation both viable and competitive.”

The initiative supports ESA’s long-term strategic vision by aligning technological development with environmental responsibility: a core priority under ESA Strategy 2040 and the ESA Green Agenda.

The structured, cross-sector engagement seen at the pitch day is uncommon in the industry, but it is an everyday feature of FLPP, ESA’s programme for future space transportation. While innovation in the sector has often been fragmented or isolated, FLPP provides a coordinated, pan-European model that focuses on the entire space transportation development chain. It brings together industry, research institutions, investors, national institutions, and end-users from the early phases of technology development. FIRST! sits within this framework, focusing specifically on the maturation of disruptive technologies currently at early development stages. 

Closing Date: 25/09

System Studies: FIRST! Sustainability

Closing Date: 25/09

Technology Maturation: FIRST! Sustainability

The pitch day reviewed 78 ideas from 13 countries. It created a shared forum for space transportation providers, developers, ESA experts, and stakeholders to test proposals against practical needs. 

The value of early coordination was evident throughout the day, with developers gaining insight into market logic and end-users seeing emerging solutions. Gaps were clarified and ideas sharpened. The process illustrated how FLPP uses structured dialogue to ensure that new technologies are not only relevant, but scalable. ESA also facilitated one-to-one B2B sessions for 14 participating entities, enabling direct conversations on feasibility and potential collaboration. 

Many of the conversations also challenged assumptions about sustainability. “If you can integrate [sustainability] into your model and business case, then it becomes a competitive advantage,” said Stefan Zeller from The Exploration Company. “Reusability reduces cost, so we can use it as a business model while supporting the environment.” 

Environmental Performance Engineer Antoinette Ott of MaiaSpace agreed and noted that shared values can influence client decisions. “Sustainability is one of the core values of a European citizen, so making space transportation more sustainable attracts more European clients,” she said. “That duality should be in sync instead of viewed as a trade-off.” 

The FIRST! Sustainability ITT is now open to organisations in participating member states.  Each selected project team will receive, in addition to study funding: 

• access to ESA expertise
• technical guidance 
• testing support   

For developers working on early-stage, high-potential concepts, this represents a direct opportunity to advance their technologies within a coordinated, European framework.

The FIRST! Sustainability ITTs are now open.