NanoMagSat

NanoMagSat is a three-satellite geomagnetic science constellation operated by ESA under the Scout programme (FutureEO, Scout 3). Open Cosmos is the prime contractor for the 16U CubeSat bus, with each satellite massing approximately 24-30 kg.[^spacenews-nanomagsat][^eoportal-nanomagsat] The three satellites are designated NanoMagSat-Alpha (60-degree inclination), NanoMagSat-Bravo (60-degree inclination, 90-degree RAAN offset), and NanoMagSat-Charlie (near-polar inclination).[^wiki-nanomagsat]

Orbital altitude is cited as 545 km by SpaceNews and Via Satellite[^spacenews-nanomagsat][^via-satellite-nanomagsat], while eoPortal states 575 km[^eoportal-nanomagsat]; the 545 km figure reflects the majority of independent sources.

Each satellite carries a Miniaturised Absolute Magnetometer (MAM) and High-Frequency Magnetometer (HFM) developed by CEA-Leti (France), mounted on a deployable boom (Comet Ingenieria/Prosix Engineering, Spain), plus a Multi-Needle Langmuir Probe (m-NLP) from the University of Oslo, dual star cameras, and dual-frequency GNSS receivers.[^eoportal-nanomagsat] The mission monitors Earth's geomagnetic field and ionospheric plasma, complementing ESA's Swarm mission and supporting the INTERMAGNET ground network.[^wiki-nanomagsat]

Scientific leadership is provided by Universite Paris Cite and the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris. The EUR 34.6 million implementation contract with Open Cosmos was signed in November 2024, following a EUR 5.2 million Phase A/B1 study from May 2022.[^spacenews-nanomagsat] NanoMagSat-Alpha is planned for launch in late 2027; launch dates for Bravo and Charlie had not been publicly confirmed as of the research date (2026-05-24).[^via-satellite-nanomagsat] Mission duration is three years.[^eoportal-nanomagsat]