Two new European Defence Fund projects for on-orbit operations

Vimotek is participating in two projects selected under the European Defence Fund (EDF) 2025 programme: ASIMOV and TAC. Both initiatives focus on strengthening European capability for complex operations in orbit, with spacecraft required to interact safely, securely and effectively in increasingly demanding operational environments.

For Vimotek, the projects sit directly within the operational challenge the company is built around: spacecraft encounters. Planned servicing, inspection and capture operations require precise and predictable proximity operations, while contested or degraded environments place additional demands on mission assurance, awareness and resilience.

ASIMOV: a European system of systems for on-orbit servicing

ASIMOV — Autonomous System for Inspection, Maintenance, defence Operations and manoeuVres — aims to establish a European dual-use On-Orbit Servicing system of systems capable of operating across low, medium and geostationary Earth orbit.

According to the European Commission, the project will define, design and validate a federated European framework capable of refuelling, repairing, inspecting and protecting satellites, including under contested or degraded conditions. The work will include operational concepts and feasibility analyses for secure on-orbit operations, system and subsystem design, and maturation of critical technologies.

ASIMOV is planned as a 36-month project with an estimated total cost of approximately €57.3 million and a maximum EU contribution of approximately €49 million.

The programme reflects a broader European ambition to reduce dependency on fragmented non-European capabilities and strengthen strategic autonomy and resilience in space.

TAC: tactically responsive capture without standard interfaces

The second project, TAC — Tactical-Capture, focuses on a different but closely related challenge: developing a tactically responsive spacecraft capable of inspection, capture and attachment using a welding-based capture process.

The concept is intended to enable attachment without relying on conventional standardised docking interfaces. The European Commission identifies potential applications including asset protection, relocation, deorbiting and modular attachment.

TAC is a 30-month research project with an estimated total cost of approximately €4 million and a maximum EU contribution of approximately the same amount.

Vimotek's contribution

Vimotek will contribute its expertise in technologies for spacecraft encounters, drawing on the company's work with mission-specific digital twins and onboard sensing and perception.

These capabilities are relevant to the kinds of problems addressed by both programmes: understanding spacecraft behaviour in proximity, validating mission concepts and operational logic, preparing complex proximity operations, and supporting precise awareness when spacecraft interact in orbit.

The specific role differs between the two projects, but the common thread is the same: helping make complex spacecraft encounters more controlled, predictable and operationally credible.

Strengthening European capability for spacecraft encounters

ASIMOV and TAC approach on-orbit interaction from different directions. ASIMOV addresses a broad European architecture for servicing and secure operations. TAC investigates a more specialised capability for responsive inspection, capture and attachment.

Together, they illustrate how proximity between spacecraft is becoming an increasingly important operational domain — spanning servicing, logistics, inspection, asset protection and other emerging mission classes.

For Vimotek, participation in both projects provides an opportunity to contribute to the European technologies, operational concepts and systems that will be needed as those missions move from exceptional demonstrations towards repeatable operational capabilities.