E.T.PACK-F and the push to take electrodynamic tethers from lab to market

The E.T.PACK-F project represents a concentrated effort to bring electrodynamic tether technology closer to operational use for sustainable end of life and orbital mobility tasks. Coordinated from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and led in part by Professor Gonzalo Sánchez Arriaga, the consortium says it will deliver a flight-ready deorbit device at technology readiness level 8 by the end of 2025 and demonstrate it in orbit in 2026 or 2027 through the European Commission's In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation programme. The project is notable for combining long-term academic research with a university spin-off, PERSEI Space, and securing industry partnerships and IP agreements intended to support commercialisation.

Technical maturation and what the consortium achieved

E.T.PACK-F builds directly on the earlier FET-Open project E.T.PACK which ended in 2022 after delivering a laboratory prototype and reaching TRL 4. Under the Transition project the team produced an engineering qualification model and ran an extensive test campaign to qualify the device, then manufactured and integrated a flight model. At the time of the interview the team was executing the acceptance test campaign. Selection for the European Commission fast track to IOD/IOV was secured to enable an in-orbit demonstration in 2026 or 2027 if ground acceptance tests and later integration proceed without further delays.

From university labs to a start-up: PERSEI Space

The core research teams from the three universities involved in the original FET-Open project created a spin-off, PERSEI Space, in late 2023. The company was founded by the academic leads together with CEO Dr. J. Muñoz Tejeda. The move responded to a clear commercialization question: who will prepare and sell future products based on the tether device. Founding the company addressed ownership, operation and market-readiness but introduced the familiar challenges of staffing, securing startup funding and negotiating intellectual property agreements.

Funding, timelines and the EIC role

The electrodynamic tether line of work benefitted from multi-stage EIC support over several years. The European Innovation Council funded two Pathfinder projects on ETs including E.T.PACK and E.T.COMPACT and supported the Transition project E.T.PACK-F. Separately the EIC backed an Innovation Launchpad project called BMOM to build a business model for the deorbit device. Researchers quoted the EIC three-step approach Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator as well suited to take a low TRL technology through laboratory demonstration toward market readiness. PERSEI has submitted a proposal to the EIC Accelerator which the team regards as crucial for scaling and securing impact on jobs, products and European technological sovereignty in space propulsion.

Selection to IOD/IOV and what fast track access means

Challenges, risks and caveats

The team emphasises that the technical hurdles were only part of the job. Creating a company out of three university groups required time-consuming IP negotiations, finding a CEO, and considerable effort to recruit staff with the right profiles. The acceptance test campaign must pass for the device to be declared flight-ready and then in-orbit success is not guaranteed. Even a successful demonstration will be an early step toward commercial adoption. Market uptake will depend on certification, customer acceptance, regulatory frameworks for tether deployment and liability, and demonstrated operational reliability over repeated missions.

Why this matters for the European space innovation ecosystem

E.T.PACK-F is an example of the multi-year investment path that deep tech in space typically requires. The EIC's layered support model is intended to maintain momentum beyond single research grants and to encourage knowledge transfer into companies. Successful technology transfer can support European strategic autonomy in critical space capabilities, create new industrial offerings and help address the growing space debris problem. That said, successful demonstrations need to translate into stable business models, repeatable manufacturing and assured supply chains to deliver material economic and environmental benefits.

Practical next steps and indicators to watch

Key near term indicators to monitor include the outcome of the acceptance test campaign, the formal declaration of TRL 8, confirmation of a launch slot and mission manifest for the IOD/IOV flight, and any results from the in-orbit experiment. From a commercial perspective, watch for progress on PERSEI's fundraising, staffing milestones, any further licensing deals or procurement contracts and the outcome of the EIC Accelerator application. Regulators and other operators will be watching too to see how risk and coordination are handled during deployment.

Closing perspective

E.T.PACK-F reflects a patient, staged approach to bringing a physically novel space technology to operational readiness. The technical approach has merits for propellant-less orbit control and deorbiting but is not without practical, regulatory and market risks. The project benefits from concentrated EIC support and a route to in-orbit demonstration via the IOD/IOV programme. Achieving a successful in-orbit demonstration would be an important milestone for electrodynamic tethers in Europe but it will not by itself guarantee commercial success. Continued funding, careful risk management and regulatory engagement will be necessary if electrodynamic tethers are to move from promising demos to routine use.