A new wave of mini satellites to monitor the high energy universe

A new wave of mini satellites to monitor the high energy universe
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) Mar 18, 2025

The H.E.R.M.E.S. Constellation, operated by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), successfully embarked on its pathfinder mission following a launch aboard SpaceX's Transporter 13 mission. Lift-off occurred at 7:43 AM Italian time from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, with the constellation's six CubeSats secured aboard an ION release platform developed by Italian aerospace firm D-Orbit and deployed via a Falcon 9 rocket. The nanosatellites have been inserted into a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude ranging between 500 and 520 kilometers, inclined at 97.44 degrees. Deployment of the satellites is scheduled over the course of a week, releasing one per day.

ASI funded the mission, receiving scientific and technical support from the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI), and the University of Cagliari (UNICA). Designed to revolutionize high-energy astrophysics and multi-messenger astronomy, these six 3U CubeSats will work in triads to detect and triangulate transient cosmic phenomena like gamma ray bursts, providing near-instantaneous alerts to the global scientific community.

Teodoro Valente, ASI President, emphasized the significance of this milestone: "Today's launch represents another success. The sector has achieved many results on the international stage since the beginning of the year. I am particularly proud of the ASI's leading role in this challenging mission, with the care and huge support it provides for scientific developments and experiments. Thanks to the expertise of Italian academia, research and industry, H.E.R.M.E.S. has now taken an important step towards the deployment of these small but vital CubeSats. The aim is to test the concept of a 'distributed sensor' in space, to demonstrate the feasibility of taking measurements in orbit by use of a modular platform: small in size and scalable, and providing a versatile, fast and economical tool."

Roberto Ragazzoni, President of INAF, noted the innovative approach: "This small constellation introduces a new way of doing science, using small satellites that 'add up to' a telescope as large as their orbit of flight, i.e. with a diameter of almost fourteen thousand kilometres. Astronomers have already used this type of method, but this is the first time it has involved small satellites to detect X-ray transients and gamma-ray bursts, also originating from celestial bodies outside our galaxy. We're exploiting a model which can provide new ways of observing the cosmos from space."

Politecnico di Milano's Rector, Donatella Sciuto, highlighted the university's role: "The Politecnico di Milano played a decisive role at various stages of the project: from the design and integration of the satellite system to the final environmental tests, using its own facilities and working with some excellent partners. The Advanced Space Technologies for Robotics and Astrodynamics (ASTRA) laboratory of the Department of Aerospace Sciences and Technologies (DAER) is a leader in aerospace research and played a decisive role. This project once again highlights the University's ability to be right at the forefront of research and technological innovation, as well as its capacity to collaborate effectively in the face of significant challenges, helping to secure some definite results in this mission."

The CubeSats were constructed and integrated at POLIMI's DAER facilities, while INAF in Rome and Fondazione Bruno Kessler in Trento handled payload development, integration, and testing. Software for the onboard payload systems originated from the University of Tubingen. Environmental testing took place at POLIMI and external sites, including Thales Alenia Space in Gorgonzola (MI) and INAF's facilities in Rome.

International collaboration played a pivotal role, with three of the six satellites produced under the H.E.R.M.E.S.-SP initiative, part of the European Commission's Horizon 2020 framework. Additionally, a ground station in Katherine, Australia, operated by the University of Tasmania, supports the mission under agreements with INAF, the University of Melbourne, and Masaryk University.

The ASI-led constellation boasts continuous sky coverage, transmitting coordinates of detected cosmic events to the scientific community in real time. This capability relies on coordinated satellite pointing, constant linkage with the Iridium satellite network, specialized ground stations, and the Mission Operation Centre (MOC) and Scientific Operation Centre (SOC).

Mission control is managed by ALTEC S.p.A. in Turin, with ASI's financial backing, while the SOC is hosted at the Space Science Data Centre in Rome. Two dedicated ground stations will assist operations: one at POLIMI's Spino D'Adda laboratory and another at the Katherine site in Australia.