Redwire Corporation has announced the successful completion of payload integration for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Σyndeo-3 satellite mission. This achievement marks a significant step as the mission prepares for a targeted launch in the fourth quarter of 2026.
As the prime contractor, Redwire’s facility in Kruibeke, Belgium, integrated ten distinct technology demonstration payloads onto the satellite. These payloads, funded by the European Commission, were developed by a consortium of partners across Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and Luxembourg. The mission is part of the EU’s In-Orbit Demonstration and In-Orbit Validation (IOD/IOV) Program, which is designed to accelerate the commercialization of new space technologies and strengthen the European space sector.
The Σyndeo-3 payloads will support critical in-space capabilities, focusing on areas such as space debris monitoring, technologies for deorbiting spacecraft at the end of their life, and advanced thermal control systems.
“Completing payload integration is a critical achievement on the Σyndeo-3 mission’s path to launch,” said Marc Dielissen, General Manager of Redwire Belgium. “It is a testament to the precision and innovation that define our team’s track record in building satellites for complex, multinational missions.”
The satellite is built upon Redwire’s heritage Hammerhead low-Earth orbit (LEO) platform, which boasts a legacy of reliable in-orbit performance. It also features the company’s latest third-generation Advanced Data and Power Management System (ADPMS-3) avionics.
With integration now complete, the Σyndeo-3 spacecraft will enter a rigorous phase of system-level environmental testing to verify its readiness for the stresses of launch and the space environment. The mission is scheduled to launch from Andøya Space in Norway aboard an Isar Aerospace Spectrum launch vehicle in late 2026.
Redwire’s Belgian operations center brings over five decades of spacecraft development heritage to the mission, having previously built platforms for ESA’s renowned Proba family of satellites and the upcoming ALTIUS Earth-observation mission.
