Orbit  and positioning manoeuvres , relocation, station-keeping and inspection of active satellites, de-orbiting, refuelling, delivery of units and in-orbit assembly, repair of one or more elements of malfunctioned, active satellites already in orbit, and active debris removal, are just some examples of in-orbit servicing.

By 2030, the European in-orbit servicing market is estimated to reach more than 5 billion alone, with a growth rate of 11.5 percent per year.

Together with important international players, Telespazio partners with the In-Orbit Servicing (IOS) demonstration mission, commissioned by the Italian government, thanks to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) fund, with the support of the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

Led by Thales Alenia Space, the mission also involves Leonardo, Avio and D-ORBIT and aims to develop enabling technologies and operations to make space more sustainable, including, for instance, refuelling satellites directly in space, repairing or replacing their components, moving them to another orbit, or facilitating their smooth atmospheric re-entry

As part of this mission, in collaboration with ALTEC, Telespazio is responsible for the design, development and qualification activities of the ground segment for the control of spacecraft and its robotic payload, which is due to be completed by the first half of 2026. Furthermore, in the second half of 2026, Telespazio will also contribute to the definition and preparation of space operations for the next phase of the mission.

As a precursor to the IOS missions, Telespazio is also participating in the ESA Space Rider project, a re-entry mission, where Telespazio is responsible not only for ground segment development but also in-orbit operations and the re-entry sequence.