🎙️ Two debates from Cologne worth continuing.

At i-SAIRAS & iSpaRo 2026, the “Act in Space: In-Space Operations and Services” panel brought together Stéphanie BEHAR LAFENETRE (Thales Alenia Space) and Maximo A. Roa (KINETIK Space), moderated by Daniel Noelke (Deutsche Raumfahrtagentur im DLR).

🔌 Debate 1: standards. Should the market pick a winner, or should we agree now? Stéphanie argued for agreeing now. The market for “USB ports in space” may be too small for several solutions to survive until it converges. Interoperability has to be there from day one.

🛡️ Debate 2: defence as a first customer. Daniel’s view: build on defence demand today, but plan for what comes after, because it won’t sustain the market alone. From the floor, Glen Henshaw, roboticist at Naval Research Laboratory added that defence customers accept riskier first operations, which can fast-track new services. Stéphanie’s nuance: no operator will risk creating debris next to its most precious satellites.

The common thread: servicing scales only with shared interfaces and operations proven safe. That’s the ground EROSS SC is preparing for Europe.

Where do you stand: agree on standards now, or let the market decide? 👇

#EROSSSC #iSAIRAS #iSpaRo #OnOrbitServicing #ISOS #SpaceSafety #Interoperability #EUSpace