On 10 September 2026, at the International Space Summit in Paris, the European Space Agency signed a service contract with The Exploration Company (TEC) for its Nyx cargo capsule. The contract is part of ALADDIN, short for Autonomous LEO Accelerated Demo Docking to ISS Node. The programme was previously known as the LEO Cargo Return Service (LCRS).
Contract value and scope
- Total contract value: €760 million
- €310 million for a Nyx demonstration mission to the International Space Station
- €450 million for two optional cargo missions to the ISS or a future commercial space station, to be confirmed later
According to ESA, this is the first and largest capsule transportation service contract that ESA has awarded to a European space company. TEC secured 40 percent of the financing for the demonstration mission from private investors. ESA covers the remaining 60 percent.
From LCRS to ALADDIN
ESA Member States endorsed the LCRS concept in 2022 as a competition for European industry. ESA initially selected two projects and funded each with €25 million. At the Ministerial Council in November 2025, Member States confirmed the project, which now enters Phase 2 under the name ALADDIN. The new name reflects an accelerated schedule and the goal of demonstrating autonomous docking with the ISS within a limited operational window. The Phase 2 tender opened in March 2026.
"It is also the first time in Europe that a five-year-old space startup wins a contract worth hundreds of millions of euros in open competition."Hélène Huby, CEO and Founder, The Exploration Company
Why it matters
ESA describes cargo transport to and from low Earth orbit as a key capability that only a handful of nations have mastered. According to ESA, the contract paves the way for independent European access to the ISS or to future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit. ESA also presents the agreement as an example of its role as an anchor customer that buys commercially delivered services from European industry.
Related reading
- How Do Crew and Supplies Get to the ISS? The Space Station Supply Chain Explained
- After the ISS: Who Is Building the Commercial Space Stations?
- Space Tugs Explained: How Orbital Transfer Vehicles Deliver Satellites
Sources
- ESA, "ESA signs service contract with The Exploration Company for its Nyx vehicle under 'ALADDIN', the European autonomous cargo capsule project", press release N° 47-2026, 10 September 2026: esa.int
Cover image: AI-generated illustration (Carrier Space, created with OpenAI). It does not show the actual spacecraft or vehicle.