The European Space Agency has awarded The Exploration Company a service contract valued at 760 million euros to advance an independent European cargo transport capability to and from low Earth orbit. The agreement was signed at the International Space Summit in Paris and covers an initial demonstration mission of the Nyx capsule to the International Space Station. It also includes options for two additional cargo missions to the ISS or a future commercial space station.
From LCRS to ALADDIN
The award follows a competitive process that began in 2022 with the Leo Cargo Return Service concept endorsed by ESA. Two European companies each received 25 million euros in initial funding to mature their designs. After ministerial confirmation in November 2025, the programme moved into Phase 2 as ALADDIN, and The Exploration Company won the subsequent tender opened in March 2026.
Contract Structure and Financing
The total contract value is 760 million euros, with 310 million euros allocated to the demonstration mission. A further 450 million euros covers two optional service missions that remain subject to later confirmation. For the demonstration mission, The Exploration Company has secured 40 percent of the financing from private investors, while ESA will contribute the remaining 60 percent.
A First for European Commercial Space
The award marks the first and largest capsule transportation service contract that ESA has given to a European space company in an open competition. ESA Director for Human and Robotic Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander said the ALADDIN phase officially gets Europe closer to a capability that only a handful of nations have mastered. He added that the technologies developed by The Exploration Company will remain in Europe and support strategic industries.
Strategic Signals and Private Investment
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said the agreement shows how the agency can act as an anchor customer, strengthening Europe's commercial space sector. Hélène Huby, founder and CEO of The Exploration Company, added that the contract reflects a shift in how space technology is built in Europe. The announcement comes shortly after the company closed a Series C round of 387 million euros to fund final development of Nyx and accelerate work on its Storm rocket engine.
Nyx Capabilities and Launch Plans
The Nyx capsule is designed to launch on heavy-lift rockets, dock autonomously with a space station, and return up to 3,000 kilograms of cargo to Earth. It is being developed across Munich, Bordeaux, and Turin, and it is currently undergoing the ISS certification process with NASA. In parallel with the ESA contract, The Exploration Company signed an agreement with Arianespace to launch the first Nyx capsule on an Ariane 6 rocket from Kourou.
Commercial Traction Beyond the ESA Contract
Beyond the ESA agreement, The Exploration Company has signed pre-booking arrangements with Axiom, Starlab, and Vast. These commitments bring the company's total booked missions to 10 with an approximate value of 2 billion dollars in contracts. The company operates as a global business with European roots and works with institutional and commercial customers worldwide.
The contract positions The Exploration Company and Europe to compete more effectively in a space sector increasingly shaped by commercial service models. By combining public anchor financing with private investment, the ALADDIN programme aims to accelerate domestic capabilities that only a few nations currently master. The planned demonstration mission and optional cargo flights represent a practical path toward independent European access to low Earth orbit and future commercial destinations.