TERMA Ensures Reliability for ESA’s Vigil Mission

8/31/2025

As solar activity intensifies, the European Space Agency’s Vigil mission will play a crucial role in protecting Earth from the disruptive effects of solar storms. Scheduled to operate from the Sun–Earth L5 Lagrange point, Vigil will serve as a real-time monitoring platform, providing early warnings of incoming solar eruptions that could affect satellites, power grids, and communications worldwide.

Within this ambitious mission, TERMA is responsible for verifying the spacecraft’s performance and communication systems ahead of launch, under contract with Airbus Defence and Space UK (ADS UK). The company’s advanced Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) and testing software will simulate and validate critical functions of the spacecraft, ensuring that Vigil operates flawlessly once deployed in deep space.

TERMA is known for its proven family of testing systems, RF and Power SCOE units, and specialized communication interfaces designed to verify telemetry, telecommand, and power distribution. These systems ensure that each onboard subsystem—navigation, communications, payload control, and data handling—responds correctly under all operating conditions. The testing phase represents one of the last and most demanding steps before a spacecraft is cleared for flight.

With decades of experience supporting ESA and NASA missions, TERMA brings a comprehensive Space Portfolio that spans from flight hardware and onboard software to ground segment solutions such as its TERMA Ground Segment Suite (TGSS) for spacecraft control and mission analysis. By contributing to Vigil, TERMA continues to strengthen Europe’s capabilities in space safety and mission assurance, helping to ensure that this vital “solar sentinel” will deliver reliable data to protect life on Earth and the systems our society depends on every day.