Siemens software selected for The Exploration Company's Nyx reusable cargo capsule

Siemens announced that The Exploration Company will use its Xcelerator portfolio—including Designcenter, Simcenter, Capital and Teamcenter—to develop Nyx, a reusable cargo capsule intended for low‑Earth‑orbit and future lunar missions. The integrated toolchain provides a single data backbone that supports traceability and certification requirements as Nyx moves toward NASA's International Space Station docking certification.

Nyx's first sub‑scale demonstrator, Mission Bikini, flew on Ariane 6 in July 2024, but an upper‑stage anomaly left the capsule attached to the rocket, preventing the planned re‑entry test. The Exploration Company, founded in 2021 by former Airbus executive Hélène Huby and based near Munich, aims to return up to 3 000 kg of cargo and to operate on any launch vehicle for up to ten missions.

Europe currently lacks a sovereign cargo‑return capability. The company secured a €25 million Phase 1 contract from the European Space Agency’s LEO Cargo Return Service in May 2024, alongside Thales Alenia Space. ESA’s follow‑on ALADDIN programme will award two contracts worth up to €420 million each, with Nyx’s first orbital demonstration targeted for 2028 and ESA’s schedule pointing to early 2029.