LONDON, UK. OCTOBER 2ND 2025 – In a major step for UK–European space collaboration, Lodestar Space (UK) and The Exploration Company (Germany/France/Italy/Luxembourg/US) have been awarded funding through the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund (IBF). The joint endeavour, Project Oracle of Nyx, will pioneer new approaches to Space Domain Awareness (SDA) through the development of a dual-use sensor suite to detect and characterise orbital threats. Lodestar's SDA suite will be designed to interface with TEC’s Nyx spacecraft, laying the groundwork for future in-orbit demonstrations.

This collaboration will deliver a capability with the potential to transform how threats are detected and managed in orbit, providing greater autonomy, resilience, and sustainability to in-space operations. The project will establish a novel dual-use technology that will reinforce defence capabilities and open new avenues for space innovation.

The project is now underway, with work focusing initially on simulation, feasibility validation, and early-stage integration studies. Results from this initial project phase will shape the roadmap for a future in-orbit demonstration and potential commercial deployment.

The announcement comes at a pivotal moment for European space security. Just this week, Germany unveiled a €40 billion investment plan to strengthen its military space capabilities in response to emerging orbital threats (Defense News, 25th September 2025). Against this backdrop, Project Oracle of Nyx underscores the strategic importance of UK–German cooperation in developing dual-use space safety technologies, ensuring Europe remains at the forefront of safeguarding its critical assets in orbit.

Victor Maier, Lead Germany & Central Europe Business, The Exploration Company, said: “We are proud to partner with Lodestar Space on Project Oracle of Nyx. By integrating their advanced autonomous sensing technology into our Nyx spacecraft, featuring certified docking capability, we are taking a major step toward enabling real-time situational awareness operations and in-orbit services. This collaboration exemplifies the kind of UK–European innovation needed to ensure secure, sustainable, and autonomous space operations, with benefits for dual-use applications. Together, we are laying the foundation for a new generation of spaceflight that is smarter, safer, and more resilient.”

About The Exploration Company:

Founded in 2021, The Exploration Company (TEC) is a European aerospace company developing Nyx - a modular, reusable, and in-orbit refuellable spacecraft designed to enable affordable, sustainable, and flexible access to space. TEC’s mission is to make space exploration open and inclusive, guided by the belief that space is for everyone. Its long-term vision champions a globally collaborative approach to space, built on open-source architecture and international partnerships. TEC offers end-to-end payload services - including cargo delivery and return, microgravity research, and STEM collaborations - through its scalable vehicle family Nyx. The company’s engineering roadmap includes dual-use as well as human-rated capabilities and extends to deep-space logistics. Headquartered in Europe, TEC is working with ESA, NASA, DLR, CNES, and commercial stations like Axiom and Starlab, and is supported by leading investors including Balderton Capital, Plural, and the French Tech Souveraineté fund. TEC raised €150 million in its Series B in 2024 and launched as of today two demonstration missions, followed by a full-scale flight to the ISS in 2028. For more information, visit https://www.exploration.space

About Lodestar Space:

Lodestar is developing the first fully autonomous, target-agnostic “Protect and Defend” capability for high-value assets in orbit. By partnering with best-in-class spacecraft manufacturers and integrating counter-space payloads, Lodestar leverages its core AI product, Mithril, to deliver counter-space effects fully autonomously. The result is a unified “Orbital Bodyguard” platform that augments existing satellite fleets and delivers end-to-end orbital defence for US and allied assets. For more information, visit www.lodestarspace.com

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