SWISSto12 is moving forward with the roll-out of the HummingSat satellite product line, thanks to fresh subscriptions in excess of 30 million euros received at the ESA Ministerial Conference Meeting. Participating states include Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Austria, Norway and the Netherlands, with further subscriptions expected to soon be received.
The funding will allow SWISSto12’s HummingSat product line being developed in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) to fully roll-out. Recently, SWISSto12 announced that it will produce the first satellite of this product line, the Intelsat IS-45, making SWISSto12 the first scale-up specialist in the history of the industry to sign a contract of this nature with an established telecommunications operator.
Named after the tiny, agile hummingbird, SWISSto12’s HummingSat product line is a showcase for the disruptive technologies emerging in Europe’s space landscape. Lightweight and small, it is far more cost-effective and sustainable than conventional satellites, paving the way for better connectivity across the globe.
Dr. Emile de Rijk, SWISSto12 founder and CEO, said, “At SWISSto12, we are proud to be at the core of Europe’s new space ecosystem. With our HummingSat product line, we are building a next-generation telecommunications infrastructure with the goal of reliably connecting communities and businesses. ESA has been an invaluable partner in funding and expertise along this journey. The new funding will help us to make the disruptive technology of HummingSat a global success.”
Andreas Mauroschat, ESA Partnership and Opportunity Satellites Program Manager, said, “HummingSat is a showcase for a successful ESA Partnership Project and we are delighted to support European and Canadian industry in this exciting new-space venture. The project has been set up in record time and within only a few months SWISSto12 has sold the first commercial HummingSat to global satellite operator Intelsat. ESA Partnership Projects federate the European and Canadian space industry around large-scale programmes, achieving competitive leaps forward and economic impact. They support end-to-end space systems from start-up to in-orbit validation, after which commercial partners operate the system.”