m-NLP first payload on ISS Bartolomeo

Eidsvoll, 20th of September 2023

The m-NLP is officially the first payload on the Airbus Bartolomeo platform at the International Space Station!

The instrument was launched from Wallops Island on August 2nd and arrived at the ISS a couple of days later. On September 17th, it was relocated and attached to the Bartolomeo platform with the Canadarm, and today it was activated to start measuring space weather and sending data.

The Canadian robotic arm can be seen here manouvering the mnL-P across to the Bartolomeo platform. Source: ESA

The m-NLP is an instrument invented at the University of Oslo (UiO) and industrialized by EIDEL for measuring and predicting space weather, a natural phenomenon that has the potential to disable satellites in orbit, including communication and navigation.

In addition to the m-NLP, EIDEL has developed a remote interface unit called the ERIU. This device connects payloads, like the m-NLP, with the Bartolomeo platform on ISS. providing both power distribution between payloads and power supply on ISS and data aquisition for to up to 4 payloads per ERIU.

EIDEL has achieved another milestone in its 57-year history and would like to express gratitude to our partners at the University of Oslo (UiO), The Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA) and The European Space Agency (ESA).

In conjunction with this In Orbit Demonstration mission, we have designed this mission badge

Read the press release at ESA’s web pages here: ESA – m-NLP begins measurements as first experiment onboard Bartolomeo