Europe

SWISSto12, a satellite and Radio Frequency product manufacturer, has announced its continued global expansion, securing additional production space at its headquarters in Switzerland, almost doubling the size of its existing site to 5,700m2. In addition, SWISSto12 has welcomed several new Satcom engineering experts to its growing team, which has increased by 25% since the start of 2024 to over 125 employees working across its facilities in Switzerland, Europe and the USA.

ESA has signed contracts with several European companies for an overall amount of € 233 million to develop Genesis and a LEO-PNT demonstrator, two new missions within the FutureNAV program that will keep Europe at the forefront of satellite navigation worldwide.

Kongsberg NanoAvionics ("NanoAvionics") has selected Neuraspace’s space traffic management (STM) solution, based on artificial intelligence, for its own end-to-end small satellite mission services. As a result, NanoAvionics will make Neuraspace’s STM system for collision analysis, maneuver planning, and improving space sustainability part of its LEOP (launch and early orbit phase) and operations package.

Intelsat has announced a strategic advance in its service capabilities through an expanded partnership with Eutelsat Group related to that company’s OneWeb low-earth orbit (LEO) constellation. The deal is a significant development for multi-orbit satellite connectivity solutions and positions Intelsat at the forefront of the next wave in global connectivity.

Kongsberg Satellite Services, KSAT, has acquired a 70 per cent majority stake in VAKE, a Norwegian startup that delivers maritime domain awareness by using satellite data combined with machine learning. KSAT has followed the development of VAKE since the company's founding and sees great opportunities in joining forces with VAKE to solve the future challenges in maritime domain awareness, offshore asset protection and shipping activity tracking.

Startical has selected NanoAvionics and GomSpace satellites to carry out the concept trials of its constellation, which will take air traffic control to space. The mission will take place after the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has given the green light to the use of aeronautical communications from space. As a result, the company will test the communication and surveillance systems of its future constellation of over 270 satellites set to provide air traffic services from space.

Hispasat and Infinite Orbits have announced their collaborative efforts in analyzing a life extension mission, utilizing Endurance, Infinite Orbits’ GEO satellite life extension service solution. Both parties aim to advance the development of a European life extension service solution for GEO satellites.

Alpine Space Ventures, a venture capital fund dedicated to early-stage investments in the space sector, has announced a EUR 10 million investment from the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF). The strategic fund-of-fund investment boosts Alpine Space Ventures’ ability to back the development and deployment of innovative space technologies, reinforcing Europe's security and resilience capabilities in both Government and commercial sectors.

To say that the space sector has seen tremendous growth in the last decade has become somewhat of a platitude. Countless reports show impressive growth and a positive outlook for the future, even suggesting a new ‘golden age’ for the industry. There is also a wide consensus that for the space economy to reach the promise of morphing into a multi-trillion-dollar valuation in the decade to come, we need a strong, resilient, and innovative sector. The health of the space sector today and tomorrow will thus be key to achieving the goals that the space community wishes to see in the years to come.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Free State of Bavaria plan to establish the Human Exploration Control Center for future human spaceflight missions to the Moon in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. The Declaration of Intent was signed by Minister-President of Bavaria Markus Söder, DLR Divisional Board Member for Space Anke Pagels-Kerp and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher on 13 March 2024 at the Bavarian State Chancellery.