Margherita Cardi, Tyvak International SRL
Developed in support of the ESA Hera Planetary Defence mission, targeting the Didymos binary asteroid, Milani CubeSat is realized by a consortium led by Tyvak International together with Czeck and Finland entities. The mission aims at enhancing the Hera scientific return using ASPECT hyperspectral imager, RGB camera and a dust detector; as well as demonstrating key technologies for deep space applications. Being the first CubeSat orbiting an asteroid, Milani represents a crucial milestone of the Agency planetary defense roadmap. Milani was launched and commissioned in 2024; regular contacts are established during the cruise phase, for periodic checkout tests execution.