News

EIRSAT-1, developed by a team of students and staff at University College Dublin through ESA’s Fly Your Satellite! program, has made history as Ireland’s first satellite.

Over more than six years of work, the mission grew from an ambitious proposal into a fully-fledged spaceflight success story – and an educational inspiration. With a long list of successes behind it and its mission accomplished, the CubeSat has now deorbited.

EIRSAT-1 sent its final beacons on September 4th and burned up on re-entry of Earth’s atmosphere. The deorbiting occurred in line with ESA’s commitment to the sustainable use of space – which includes minimizing space debris and ensuring that missions leave no long-term footprint in orbit. Science in orbit

Launched in December of 2023, EIRSAT-1 carried three payloads that proved to be successful. Worthy of particular note is GMOD, a compact gamma-ray detector that has detected 10 cosmological gamma-ray bursts – some of the universe’s most energetic and distant events – as well as two solar flares. The scientific success marked a leap from Technology Readiness Level 1 all the way to 9, completing the full arc from concept to space-proven system.

As a final flourish, a software update to another payload, WBC, was uplinked to the spacecraft, enabling experiments with new magnetic control algorithms. These aim to detumble the satellite and stabilise it about a desired axis, which are key capabilities for future missions.

EIRSAT-1 was not just Ireland’s first satellite; it was Ireland’s first space mission. This posed some unusual challenges. With limited space infrastructure, the University College Dublin team worked with over 100 ESA experts, the Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and other government departments and agencies, to ensure all of the technical, legal, and programmatic aspects of the mission met strict international standards.

A Dáil (Irish Parliament) debate was required to pass the necessary legislation to allow EIRSAT-1 become an Irish satellite and listed on the UN register of objects launched into outer space. Navigating this complex environment required innovation, persistence, and a deep commitment from all involved.

Through ESA Education’s Fly Your Satellite! initiative, students were supported every step of the way, from vibration testing to thermal vacuum trials, and from licensing procedures to launch. More than 50 students, including 13 PhD researchers supported by the Irish Research Council, took part in the project. Disciplines ranged from Physics and Mechanical Engineering to Mathematics and Computer Science.

The mission’s legacy continues. In 2024, University College Dublin introduced a new Spacecraft Operations module for their Space Science & Technology MSc, training an additional 20 students to become satellite operators, with some even working directly with EIRSAT-1 in orbit.

EIRSAT-1 also sparked interest across the country as more than 64,000 people watched the live launch broadcast, while 3000 schoolchildren participated in mission-themed educational activities.

EIRSAT-1 alumni have gone on to careers in Irish space companies, which partnered on follow-on projects such as NSSPI, a national satellite systems initiative funded by Ireland’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund. Others have found new paths in data analytics, medical physics, and international space organizations.

The mission also laid the foundations for COMCUBE-S, a next-generation CubeSat, building directly on GMOD’s heritage. Now in Phase A study with ESA, COMCUBE-S aims to implement a more advanced Compton telescope system on multiple spacecraft, capable of not just detecting but localizing high-energy transient events and even performing polarization measurements to better understand their source mechanisms.

Another project, GIFTS (funded by the Research Ireland), further develops the GMOD concept, demonstrating how Ireland’s first satellite is influencing new missions even before it re-entered the atmosphere. A poetic farewell

On it’s slow decent back to Earth EIRSAT-1 was transmitting a final message – drawing on Ireland’s long association with literature. The satellite broadcasted a sequence of seven short messages, each containing a line from a poem called All Ways Home, which was written collaboratively by school pupils from across the country specifically for the EIRSAT-1 mission. Amateur radio operators across the world received and decoded the messages in a fittingly creative and symbolic closure to the mission.

Thanks to EIRSAT-1, Ireland has proven its ability to develop, launch, and operate a spacecraft entirely from within its borders, and is officially a spacefaring nation This milestone was made possible through Ireland’s membership of ESA and their support via ESA Education’s Fly Your Satellite! program, which provided expert guidance, training, and technical resources to the student team at University College Dublin throughout the mission.

With the support of the Irish ESA delegation, along with civil servants across many government departments, but especially the Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, EIRSAT-1 stands as a national achievement and a clear example of how ESA’s educational initiatives can inspire the public and empower the next generation of space professionals.

Kongsberg NanoAvionics (NanoAvionics) has been selected by Thales Alenia Space to join a consortium studying the European Space Agency’s (ESA) FutureEO program mission, SIRIUS (Space Based Infra-Red Imager for Urban Sustainability).

NanoAvionics will contribute its small satellite expertise, including the flight-proven MP42H microsatellite bus and its flight operations segment design, to meet the technical requirements for the SIRIUS mission.

SIRIUS is a next-generation Earth observation mission concept focused on frequent, high-resolution, night-time monitoring of Europe’s urban areas using thermal infrared (TIR). This allows for measuring building, infrastructure, and land surface temperature from space. The study will define the space and ground segment architecture to address challenges such as urban heat islands, urban planning, and the development of effective climate policies.

Led by Thales Alenia Space, the consortium includes EO specialists and scientists from across Europe.

The SIRIUS study is part of ESA’s Scout missions, intended as an agile, fast, and low-cost approach to prove new concepts in Earth observation, with a focus on scientific research.

NanoAvionics has a strong history of successful collaboration with Thales Alenia Space and ESA, having provided our small satellite design, manufacturing, and operations expertise for missions that are already working in orbit,” said Atle Wøllo, CEO of Kongsberg NanoAvionics. “Continuing our collaboration in the SIRIUS mission study to advance urban heat monitoring and sustainable city planning highlights the strength of combining the unique capabilities of small satellites with those of a legacy prime to deliver efficient and impactful solutions.”

Aerospacelab has closed an extended Series B funding round totaling 94 million euros ($110 million) throughout a dual-tranche funding of 56 million euros ($66 million) alongside a 38 million euros ($44 million) commitment from a European financial institution.

This Series B round has been strategically implemented to align with Aerospacelab’s ambitious industrial roadmap and solidify its position as a major force in the aerospace industry.

This substantial investment has served to propel Aeropacelab’s growth trajectory and fuel its products’ readiness, resulting in a fleet of ready-to-sell satellites to demanding customers active in a variety of industries (e.g. Earth Observation (EO), telecom, etc). Additionally, it has been directed towards the full verticalization of all key subsystems, reinforcing its industrial autonomy and accelerating its product development.

Aerospacelab’s Megafactory, a cornerstone of its industrial strategy, has already benefited from the Series B funding, enabling the company to build one of the most advanced satellite production sites in Europe, with a manufacturing capacity of up to 500 satellites per year.

The capital has also been instrumental in accelerating R&D, attracting top-tier engineering talent, and fully verticalizing subsystems—all of which directly enhance the reliability, performance, and delivery timelines for telecommunications customers and other commercial partners. Construction of the Megafactory began in 2024, with its first satellites’ production expected in 2026 and with a full production capacity to be reached by 2027.

Backed by a strong coalition of investors, including both returning and new partners, this round reflects the market’s growing confidence in Aerospacelab’s mission to drive innovation, speed, and performance through its vertically integrated technology stack.

This Series B is more than just capital — it’s a strong endorsement of our vision to deliver and scale our manufacturing capabilities powering the next generation of constellations”, said Benoît Deper, CEO and Founder of Aerospacelab. “It reinforces our position at a pivotal moment: our products are mature and ready to deploy, our industrial infrastructure is scaling up for mass production, and we are prepared to meet rising global demand with speed and precision. We are ready for what’s next.”

ExxonMobil Corporation and GHGSat are now in a new partnership to monitor and mitigate methane at scale across ExxonMobil’s onshore operations in North America and Asia, including the United States, Canada, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia.

This collaboration marks a significant investment by ExxonMobil in satellite-based emissions monitoring, reflecting the company’s commitment to reducing methane emissions, deploying innovative technologies, and leading the energy industry in environmental stewardship.

ExxonMobil has a demonstrated track record of industry-leading initiatives to drive methane reduction, cutting emissions intensity by more than 60 percent since 2016 and eliminating routine flaring in Permian Basin-operated assets. By 2030, ExxonMobil is on track to achieve methane reductions of 70 to 80 percent.

Data from the GHGSat platform will feed ExxonMobil’s pioneering Center for Operations and Methane Emissions Tracking (COMET). Launched in 2022, COMET continuously monitors and analyzes methane emissions data from a network of measurement technologies. Today, it’s part of ExxonMobil’s Vantage team – integrated with remote Upstream operations and serves as a model for oil & gas operators seeking to systematically identify and reduce emissions across their operations.

GHGSat’s state-of-the-art satellites, purpose-built to support industrial operators to reduce emissions, pinpoint the source of methane leaks as small as 100 kg/hr, typically down to individual pieces of equipment. With 14 satellites launched since 2016, GHGSat monitors millions of industrial facilities annually, monitoring at a near-continuous cadence to provide the most comprehensive global coverage in the market.

Leveraging an unmatched revisit rate, GHGSat delivers data to operators within hours, empowering them to address emissions swiftly and with confidence. Working hand-in-hand with industry as a trusted partner, GHGSat has supported the mitigation of over 20MT CO2E of methane since beginning operations.

Methane has a warming effect roughly 80 times stronger than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Reducing methane emissions is recognized as one of the most immediate and impactful ways to slow planetary warming.

Reducing methane is environmentally responsible and is also economically sound. Keeping methane in the pipeline, rather than the atmosphere, increases yields for oil and gas producers, reducing the financial losses stemming from lost product. Accurate data on methane emissions also safeguards an operator’s ability to export to nations with more stringent regulatory policies on emissions intensity. This increased efficiency creates a competitive edge in today’s rapidly evolving energy sector.

With this partnership, ExxonMobil and GHGSat make a steadfast commitment to reducing methane emissions and ensuring resilient energy systems around the globe.

This partnership demonstrates the power of the intersection of innovative technology and industry leadership to truly move the needle on methane,” said Stephane Germain, GHGSat CEO. “GHGSat is laser focused on designing its satellites to solve operational challenges for operators, providing insights—the exact source of an emission, delivered at a speed that is operationally useful—that enable action. As global demand grows for high-quality emissions data, this collaboration underscores the trust leading companies place in our technology to drive meaningful impact.”

When it comes to reducing methane, ExxonMobil has led from the front, pursuing aggressive reductions across our own operations and sharing best practices across the industry,” said Matt Kolesar, ExxonMobil Chief Environmental Scientist. “To execute our ambitious goals, Exxon is in constant pursuit of innovative technology and partnerships that can drive impact. By leveraging GHGSat’s cutting-edge satellite constellation—and the comprehensive data and insights it delivers—we are able to monitor assets at scale via satellite for the first time, informing mitigation strategy and action.”

WISeKey International Holding Ltd. (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY) has announced that the company’s subsidiary, WISeSat AG, which focuses on space technology for secure SATCOM, specifically for IoT applications, has successfully installed its third ground station, located near Ecublens, in the Lausanne region of Switzerland.

This new antenna will serve as a control base for the management and direction of IoT satellites, further strengthening WISeSat’s global ground infrastructure.

This installation builds on the deployment of WISeSat’s European antenna in La Línea de la Concepción, Spain, where the municipality is collaborating with WISeKey to establish the LLG 4th Industrial Revolution Center of Excellence in Gibraltar. Together, these ground stations form a robust backbone for satellite connectivity and IoT innovation across Europe.

This new ground station positions the Lausanne region as a critical hub for the deployment, control, and communication of IoT satellites. It will play a central role in supporting WISeSat’s constellation of satellites, developed by WISeKey, to provide dedicated and secure IoT connectivity anywhere on Earth using picosatellites and low-power sensors.

WISeSat delivers a highly reliable IoT connectivity solution that ensures secure communications for critical applications, from smart cities and agriculture to logistics, energy, and environmental monitoring. By expanding its network of ground stations, WISeSat is laying the foundation for a fully European-controlled and operated satellite connectivity system aligned with Europe’s strategic digital and space independence goals.

This installation marks another milestone in building a secure and independent IoT satellite infrastructure in Europe,” said Carlos Moreira, CEO and founder at WISeKey. “By partnering with the Space Campus at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, multidisciplinary hub dedicated to advancing space technologies, research, and innovation, we are strengthening collaboration across academia, startups, industry, and government. This unique ecosystem, anchored within one of Europe’s leading technical universities, is driving forward cutting-edge projects in satellite systems, space communications.”

Also, WISeKey International Holding AG (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), via its subsidiary WISeSat.Space AG, and EnduroSat, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a framework aimed at achieving a strategic partnership to extend the development and deployment of ultra-secure, quantum-resilient, nanosatellite systems for Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

The cooperation targets the integration of SEALSQ secure elements, such as the VaultIC292, VaultIC408, and QS7001, into satellite payloads and ground-level endpoints. These components enable strong hardware-based security and digital identity protection, ensuring encrypted communications and trusted authentication across the IoT satellite network.

The project aims to implement post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms, aligned with NIST recommendations such as CRYSTALS-Kyber and CRYSTALS-Dilithium, to safeguard against future quantum computing threats. WISeSat will provide the PQC algorithmic stack and support, while EnduroSat will incorporate these into its satellite and communication platform.

EnduroSat brings its expertise in modular satellite design, on-orbit validation, and scalable deployment systems and will lead the physical integration of SEALSQ secure components into next-generation satellite buses and contribute to the overall mission architecture. WISeSat will support cryptographic integration and field engineering resources, ensuring that each system meets high-security and resilience benchmarks.

The partnership further outlines the future integration of post-quantum cryptographic solutions and secure elements into both EnduroSat and WISeSat satellite infrastructures. EnduroSat will also support the design and deployment of WISeSat’s future missions, ensuring compliance with defined security and performance requirements.

This collaboration builds on WISeSat’s successful deployment of its new-generation PQC-ready nanosatellite in December of 2025 and EnduroSat’s proven record of delivering more than 60+ satellites to orbit for institutional, scientific, and commercial customers. The resulting architecture will offer scalable, tamper-proof IoT connectivity services from LEO, critical for use-cases in logistics, critical infrastructure, defense, and environmental monitoring.

This partnership with EnduroSat marks a significant step forward in our mission to deliver quantum-resilient, end-to-end secure satellite infrastructure,” said Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey. “By integrating SEALSQ’s advanced secure elements into the expanding WISeSat constellation, we are building a tamper-proof communications backbone in space. Together with EnduroSat’s modular satellite technology, we are enabling scalable and ultra-secure IoT connectivity services from Low Earth Orbit—critical for securing data and infrastructure in the quantum era.”

We are excited to initiate this partnership,” said Raycho Raychev, founder & CEO of EnduroSat. “We hope to accelerate the introduction and establishment of much stronger encryption capabilities into the satellite industry.”

CNES has awarded €31 million in strategic funding to UNIVITY—formerly Constellation Technologies & Operations— as part of a France 2030 call for projects operated by CNES—this support marks a decisive step in the development of space-based 5G made in France and in the realization of UNIVITY’s industrial ambition.

While American and Chinese giants dominate the race for satellite connectivity, a French startup is changing the game with a bold vision rooted in innovation and industrial sovereignty.

Selected under the France 2030 space program following a competitive bidding process, UNIVITY—together with TDF—will carry out a groundbreaking demonstration of satellite-based 5G connectivity. Through real-world use cases, this experiment will validate the relevance of a fully integrated 5G NTN solution, designed and built in France, combining very Low Earth Orbit (vLEO) satellites with terrestrial infrastructure.

TDF will play a central role in the project’s operational implementation, managing the hosting, installation, operation, and maintenance of three gateway stations—two in mainland France and one overseas. These gateways will be essential to ensure seamless interoperability between the satellite system and telecom operators’ terrestrial networks.

With €31 million in funding from CNES and additional industrial co-financing from UNIVITY, the contract amounts to a total of €44 million and reflects a proactive commitment to technological sovereignty. As a true accelerator for the space industry, France 2030 supports the development of critical technologies for France’s economy and Europe’s technological independence. The selected project aims to validate this technology in real-world operational conditions.

The France 2030 co-funded project, with 30% industrial contribution, will unfold through to 2028 in two phases:

• Phase 1 (July 2025 – April 2026): technical specification and use case studies.

• Phase 2 (April 2026 – February 2028): assembly, integration, testing, launch, and in-orbit operation of two VLEO 5G satellites communicating with gateways and ground terminals to demonstrate high-throughput, low-latency services.

Backed by CNES, this funding underscores the credibility of the project while validating the technological and business choices made by UNIVITY and TDF. It also acts as a powerful industrial accelerator.

UNIVITY is not just another technological evolution, it is a strategic solution arriving at a historic moment in the telecom sector, marked by the convergence of terrestrial and space networks. As a future global provider of space-based internet services, the French company is developing a VLEO constellation leveraging operators’ own 5G mmWave spectrum to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity – just as they do today with terrestrial networks. This breakthrough opens new possibilities for connecting rural, remote, and underserved regions without requiring massive infrastructure investments.

This €44 million program consolidates UNIVITY’s ambitious trajectory. Less than six months after raising €9.3 million, the company successfully launched in June 2025 its first regenerative 5G mmWave payload for space telecommunications. It has also signed strategic agreements with TDF and with ESA. Next milestones include the launch of two prototype satellites in 2027, followed by the gradual deployment of the constellation between 2028 and 2030.

Thanks to France 2030 funding, CNES is supporting UNIVITY in preparing, through the in-orbit demonstration ‘uniShape,’ a satellite-based 5G-NTN service designed to meet the needs of terrestrial operators. UNIVITY’s ‘uniSky’ constellation aims to deliver a distinctive French solution for high-speed space-based 5G-NTN connectivity, serving both consumer and professional users, built on innovative concepts and breakthrough technologies,” said Caroline Laurent, Director of Orbital Systems and Applications, CNES.

We are proud to have the support of France 2030 for this project, which represents a true strategic milestone for us. This recognition validates both our expertise and our vision of converging terrestrial and space networks. Our entire team is fully committed to this challenge, ready to deliver with enthusiasm, ambition, and determination,” said Véronique Bonnet, Program Director at UNIVITY.

This project is a key milestone for TDF, underscoring our ability to integrate the space dimension into our telecom infrastructure offering. By combining our field expertise, local presence, and technological know-how, we are actively contributing to the emergence of a hybrid, resilient, and sovereign connectivity model driven by French players,” said Jean-Louis Mounier, Managing Director of TDF’s TowerCo Business Unit.

Space is the new frontier for telecommunications,” said Charles Delfieux, President of UNIVITY.

Elbit Systems Ltd. launched the company’s advanced JUPITER space camera aboard the National Advanced Optical System (NAOS) satellite, supporting a wide span of Earth Observation (EO) missions, including military operations, environmental monitoring and scientific research.

The NAOS satellite, manufactured by OHB Italia S.p.A., was launched on August 26th from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, for the Luxembourg Government’s Directorate of Defense aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

JUPITER, developed by Elbit Systems ISTAR&EW – ELOP, is one of the world’s most advanced space cameras, featuring a very large aperture and an exceptionally lightweight design. The camera is multispectral, offering a combination of imaging channels:

• A high-resolution panchromatic channel (black and white), which captures fine spatial details across the full visible spectrum.

• RGB channels (red, green, blue) for true-color imaging.

• A NIR channel (Near-Infrared), which enables analysis of vegetation health, water content, and material properties.

These channels are ideal for advanced image fusion and analysis. JUPITER is capable of capturing continuous long image strips with a swath, allowing efficient coverage of large geographic areas in a single orbital overpass.

The data generated by the JUPITER camera is designed for seamless integration with onboard systems and ground station analytics platforms. Its compatibility with advanced image processing and AI engines enables the extraction of actionable insights, supporting informed decision-making across a wide range of applications.

In addition to the camera, Elbit Systems developed and supplied advanced algorithms to support the ground segment of the NAOS mission, enhancing image analysis capabilities.

This achievement is the result of a close collaboration between OHB Italia and Elbit Systems, combining satellite engineering excellence with top-tier imaging technology to deliver one of the highest-performing spaceborne optical systems in the world.