Overview
- Henon is set to be the first stand-alone CubeSat to operate in deep space, communicating directly via ESA’s Estrack using a miniaturized deep-space transponder under development.
- The spacecraft will use a first-of-its-kind miniature xenon ion engine to execute major maneuvers without a parent craft.
- After a piggyback launch planned for late 2026 to Sun–Earth L2, Henon will propel itself into a Distant Retrograde Orbit around the Sun.
- The mission targets solar-storm alerts three to six hours before impact at Earth, compared with today’s 15–60 minute lead times from L1 assets.
- The spacecraft will be the first to fly in this DRO regime, ranging roughly 12–24 million km from Earth, with Argotec leading under ESA’s GSTP program.