01 / PAYLOAD
IM-Space develops the tools.
Specialized robotic payloads and process end-effectors designed for the space environment.
Specialized payloads for orbital & lunar servicing
Enabling ISAM through joining and cutting in space.
IM-Space Technologies develops robotic payloads and process end-effectors that give orbital and lunar servicing systems the capability to join, cut and modify structures in their operational environment.
Spacecraft & lunar structure upgrades
Active debris capture
Debris partitioning
Assembly & manufacturing
Concept vision Physical interaction in orbit
Physical process technologies · IM-Space
02 / PLATFORM
Servicers perform the mission.
Our technologies integrate with orbital and lunar servicing platforms as mission-enabling payloads.
03 / OPERATION
Joining, cutting and surface preparation enable the operation.
Precise physical interaction transforms servicing, assembly, manufacturing and future recycling.
Core technologies
Process capabilities at the tool–material interface.
We translate material-process expertise into compact payload technologies that can be integrated with robotic servicing systems.
Joining technologyT-01
Capacitor Discharge Stud Welding
A fast joining process adapted for vacuum operations. CCDS creates strong attachment points on existing structures, enabling robotic capture, handling, upgrades and assembly without access to the reverse side.
- Rapid, localized energy delivery
- Single-sided access to the target structure
- Interfaces for capture, handling and structural upgrades
- Development for bare and covered aerospace surfaces
Experimental validationCCDS attachment produced through a representative multilayer insulation configuration.
Cutting & processingT-02
Electron Beam Material Processing
Compact electron-beam concepts for cutting, joining and controlled material modification in vacuum — supporting repair, part removal and debris partitioning.
- Vacuum-compatible high-energy process
- Localized cutting and material removal
- Future joining and repair capability
Payload integrationT-03
Robotic Process End-Effectors
Integrated tools combining process hardware, structural interfaces, sensing and control for repeatable execution by orbital or lunar robotic systems.
- Process-to-robot interface engineering
- Force-controlled contact and verification
- Mission-specific payload configuration
Surface pre-conditioningT-04
Laser Surface Cleaning
A non-contact laser-ablation process for selectively removing coatings, oxides and contamination before joining or inspection. The technology strengthens process reliability while also offering potential as a standalone robotic surface-processing capability in space.
- Localized removal of coatings and surface contamination
- Precise preparation of joining and contact areas
- Potential standalone capability for maintenance and surface refurbishment
Enabled applications
From access to action.
Servicing platforms can reach a target. IM-Space payloads are being developed to let them physically modify it.
Spacecraft upgrades & retrofitting
Create new attachment interfaces for additional hardware, replacement modules, handling fixtures and structural modifications.
Lunar structures & infrastructure
Support construction, extension and repair of metallic structures, equipment and future surface infrastructure.
Active debris capture
Create a robust mechanical interface directly on a non-cooperative object to support capture, stabilization and subsequent handling.
Debris partitioning
Cut large derelict structures into manageable pieces for controlled handling, transport and future material recovery.
In-space assembly & manufacturing
Join, adapt and finish structures beyond launch-vehicle constraints as part of future ISAM production chains.
Repair, reconfiguration & circular use
Enable replacement, refurbishment and eventual reuse of structures and materials already present in space.
Development approach
Engineering from process to payload.
Our development path connects fundamental material interaction with robotic execution and mission-relevant verification.
Characterize the interaction
Understand energy transfer, material response, joint formation and cutting behaviour under representative environmental conditions.
Convert the process into an end-effector
Integrate power delivery, contact mechanics, consumables, sensing and structural interfaces into a compact robotic payload.
Test repeatability and performance
Verify function across target materials, surface conditions and operational envelopes using controlled laboratory and vacuum campaigns.
Prepare for servicing-system integration
Define mechanical, electrical, data and operational interfaces with robotic platforms and mission-level concepts of operation.
Experimental evidence
Systematic verification across materials and surface conditions.
Test specimens from vacuum process-development campaigns, including bare and covered configurations produced across controlled parameter sets.
Vacuum process infrastructureFacility at IMSAS accessible to IM-Space Technologies through its institutional partnership.
Facilities & services
From process development to manufactured and verified hardware.
Through its institutional connection with IMSAS, IM-Space Technologies has access to an integrated infrastructure for designing, manufacturing and testing specialized payload technologies. This allows IM-Space to manufacture most prototype components and experimental hardware in-house using the available institutional workshop infrastructure, supporting rapid design iterations from engineering through verification and material analysis. The same integrated capability can support collaborative R&D and external engineering and testing services, subject to project scope and facility availability.
01CNC and conventional machining
02Prototype and test-hardware manufacturing
03Vacuum process development and testing
04Mechanical testing of welded joints
05Metallographic preparation and analysis
06Optical and electron microscopy
01Design
02Manufacture
03Process
04Test
05Analyse
06Improve
About IM-Space
Materials expertise meets space-system engineering.
IM-Space Technologies brings together deep knowledge of materials, welding and process development with experience in robotic space systems and in-space operations.
Created as a joint spin-off of the Institute of Materials and Machine Mechanics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Space scAvengers, the company focuses on the physical-process layer of orbital and lunar servicing.
Our role is clear: we develop the specialized tools that allow servicing systems to do useful physical work.
Materials & processes
Welding · metallurgy · testing · research infrastructure
Space systems
Robotics · GNC · autonomy · servicing architectures
Specialized payloads for joining and cutting in space
Selected ongoing partnerships
Connected to Europe’s space-technology ecosystem.
Our technology development is strengthened through active cooperation with institutional and industrial partners working toward operational in-space servicing capabilities.
Institutional cooperation
European Space Agency
Technology-development and validation activities supporting the maturation of joining technologies for orbital and lunar applications.
Industrial cooperation
PIAP Space
Cooperation on robotic end-effector development, payload integration and pathways toward operational space-servicing applications.
The team behind IM-Space
The team behind the technology.
IM-Space Technologies brings together researchers and engineers with expertise in materials science, welding and joining processes, spacecraft systems, robotics and autonomous operations.
This combination allows us to address the complete technology chain—from understanding material interaction in vacuum to developing process end-effectors that can be integrated with orbital and lunar servicing systems.
Materials & metallurgy
Material response, joint formation, microscopy and failure analysis.
Joining & processing
Welding, cutting and process development for demanding environments.
Space systems & robotics
Payload interfaces, robotic execution and servicing-system integration.
Autonomy & operations
Operational concepts and autonomous capabilities for orbital and lunar missions.
Start a technical discussion
Looking for a process capability your servicing system does not yet have?
Talk to us about payload integration, joining, cutting and surface-preparation applications, prototype manufacturing, joint testing, metallurgical analysis or collaborative technology development.