| Mission type | Space weather probe |
|---|---|
| Operator | ESA |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | 12U CubeSat |
| Manufacturer | Argotec |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | NET 2026 |
HENON, or the HEliospheric pioNeer for sOlar and interplanetary threats defeNce, is a planned space weather and technology demonstration mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) in the form of a 12U CubeSat. [1] It will be ESA's first stand-alone deep space CubeSat. The goal of the mission is to demonstrate solar storm forecasting capabilities with 3–6 hours of advance warning before a storm reaches Earth, a considerable improvement compared to the current warning time. The launch of HENON is planned for the end of 2026. [2] [3] [4]
HENON is funded through the Element 3 of the ESA's General Support Technology Programme (GSTP), [5] which supports In Orbit Demonstration of new technologies. These missions combine technology demonstration with practical applications. The mission's prime contractor is Argotec in Italy. [2]
HENON's electric propulsion system is being developed by a UK consortium led by Mars Space. A miniature X-band space transponder and a solar array drive assembly are being developed by IMT in Italy. The spacecraft's power conditioning & distribution unit is being developed by Argotec. [2] The xenon gas gridded ion engine is similar to the one used on the BepiColombo mission to Mercury, though miniaturised for CubeSat applications. [6]
The mission will demonstrate new miniaturised scientific instruments for space weather observations including a radiation particle telescope, magnetometer, and a Faraday Cup for measuring the solar wind properties: [2]
HENON will be launched together with another larger spacecraft to the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2. Then, it will use its own electric propulsion system to fly to a Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) of the Sun-Earth system. In this orbit, it will be passing upstream of Earth on the sunward side and get 10x nearer the Sun compared to a spacecraft in Lagrange point 1. [2]