Belgian company may supply software for Comet Interceptor

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Belgian software company Spacebel has won a contract for the future space mission Comet Interceptor from the European Space Agency (ESA) and its Japanese counterpart JAX.

The launch of Comet Interceptor – which will consist of three space probes – is planned for 2029. The aim of the mission is to investigate a non-periodic comet that has only just entered our solar system and has therefore not yet undergone any changes under the influence of the Sun.

Ten engineers

Spacebel – which has offices in Liège and Hoeilaart in Belgium – recently signed a contract with OHB Italia, one of the main contractors of the Comet Interceptor mission. The company will develop the central software for the spacecraft, the platform equipment and the instruments of the so-called payload. Up to ten Spacebel engineers will focus on this over the next two years.

In October it was announced that the Belgian Redwire Space – part of the American aviation group Redwire – will also contribute to Comet Interceptor. The company from Kruibeke won the contract from OHB Italia for the development of the spacecraft’s computer.