Today, three new In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation (IOD/IOV) missions were launched onboard of the European launcher Vega flight VV23 from the European spaceport in French Guyana, under the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme. The three missions, six satellites and nine experiments, will allow the test of technologies with a wide variety of application, which are detailed below.

The European Union IOD/IOV programme allows experiments to be tested in orbit and get flight heritage (validation in real environment) for scientific, public, or commercial purposes. The test of technologies in orbit is the final step before placing them on the market. Through the IOD/IOV missions, the European Union, supported by the European Space Agency, is closing the gap between the development of a technology and its commercialisation. This is a fantastic way to boost the competitiveness of the European space industry through innovation, and to enhance European scientific excellence.