Prisma is led by Sweden, with the Swedish National Space Board as main financer, in cooperation with Germany, France and Denmark. The launch of Prisma is scheduled for 2008. SSC is the prime contractor for Prisma and will also be responsible for the satellite design, guidance and navigation control system, onboard computer, onboard software, ground system, assembly, test and verification as well as operations.

- The aim with Prisma is to strengthen the Swedish space industry and its position in Europe, to give new technologies developed by Swedish companies the possibility to qualify their inventions in space and to fortify Sweden's capability to develop affordable satellites in a relatively short time, says Christer Nilsson from the Swedish National Space Board.

- The first months of the project have been successful, now we are looking forward to the challenging and stimulating tasks we have in front of us, says SSC's project manager Staffan Persson.

Prisma consists of two space vehicles, a Main spacecraft and a simpler Target craft that will meet in space. The Main spacecraft can manoeuvre while the role of the Target is just what is in its name. The Main craft will weigh about 140 kg and the target about 40 kg. They will be launched together as one unit and the target will separate after about two weeks in orbit when the technology demonstration commences.

The main objective of Prisma is to carry out flight demonstrations using experimental manoeuvres requiring new GN&C (Guidance, Navigation & Control) and sensor technologies for future rendezvous and formation flying missions:

• Highly autonomous GN&C experiments. The two craft will perform autonomous formation flying. The Main craft will locate the Target at a long distance, approach it, fly around it and then leave it. SSC with assistance from the German space organisation DLR will perform this test.
• A GPS-based navigation experiment from DLR will evaluate the use of GPS as a sensor for automatic formation flying.
• An optical sensor based on star tracker technology will be evaluated as a tracking and rendezvous/docking sensor. This experiment is a joint venture between the Danish Technical University and SSC.
• A flight qualification test of a radio frequency metrology formation flying package intended for ESA's Darwin project. Alcatel Space, France is responsible for this experiment with support from the French space agency CNES. Prisma will also test technology developed by Swedish companies in the frame of Sweden's space programme:

• To space qualify a new satellite propulsion system using non-toxic propellant, HPGP (High Performance Green Propellant), developed by the ECAPS company, jointly owned by SSC and Volvo Aero. The development of this system, intended as a replacement for hydrazine-based thrusters, is also supported by ESA.
• To flight qualify new avionics and power systems derived from the corresponding systems on ESA's SMART-1 lunar probe, developed by SSC. Prisma avionics is designed by SSC and the power system by Omnisys instruments in Gothenburg. Saab Ericsson Space will manufacture the avionics.
• To qualify new onboard software using Matlab/Simulink and automatic code generation to an even higher degree than in the SMART-1 project. SSC is responsible for developing this software.
• To test SSC's new Electrical Ground Support Equipment and Satellite Control software system.
• To test silicon-based cold-gas microthrusters developed by NanoSpace AB, a Swedish company owned 75% by SSC and 25% by Swedish space technology innovator Lars Stenmark.