ARQUIMEA and Aerospacelab have signed an agreement to co-develop a LEO satellite that will feature optimized reliability and power management — this smallsat will deliver 1.5 kW of peak power and will be able to integrate payloads of 40 kg. (~90 pounds).
The satellite performance will meet the growing demand for LEO missions, such as telecommunications constellations, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), Earth Observation (EO) and other applications that require high reliability and on-board satellite processing capabilities. Throughout this collaboration agreement, both companies will pool their experience and know-how to also capture business opportunities that may arise on the global market.
Aerospacelab brings to the table the company’s experience in the development of satellites with a modular design, which allows for scalability and redundancies in critical subsystems. For its part, ARQUIMEA will add technological know-how and experience in the design and manufacture of thermal systems and structures, optical systems, avionics, deployable systems, and aerospace-grade microelectronics. In addition, both companies operate state-of-the-art facilities to manufacture this new high-performance satellite model in large series at a combined rate of up to 100 units per year.
The agreement between both companies also provides for collaboration on future projects and opportunities to develop turnkey, space missions. These services include mission definition for satellites weighing up to 300 kg. and constellations, including their design and manufacture, launch and operation.
“In ARQUIMEA we have found the ideal partner to carry out an ambitious global project which perfectly complements our current product portfolio. This collaboration and newly co-developed satellite will not only address a market segment with great potential, it will also further strengthen our capabilities to contribute to shaping the future of the space industry.” — Benoit Deper, CEO and Founder, Aerospacelab
“We offer a more technologically advanced solution to respond to the growing demand for increasingly complex and exacting LEO missions, both for individual satellites and constellations. With this collaboration, we continue to expand our capabilities and technologies that reinforce our position as a benchmark technology company at all levels of the space value chain.” — Ferran Tejada, CEO, ARQUIMEA Space
ARQUIMEA is a Spanish technology company that operates globally in technically demanding sectors, such as the aerospace, defence, science industry, biotechnology and fintech sectors. With more than 18 years of experience, it collaborates in the space sector with the leading space agencies, such as NASA and the ESA, leading companies in traditional space and New Space, international consortia, universities and research centers. Today, ARQUIMEA has evolved into a comprehensive supplier with the capability to develop and manufacture entire satellites, systems, subsystems and critical components.
Founded in 2018, Aerospacelab is a fast-growing company specialized in designing, manufacturing and operating small satellite systems. Thanks to its versatile satellite platform, Aerospacelab provides international stakeholders with an access to space and geospatial intelligence, offering proprietary high-resolution satellite data and therefore facilitating improved decision-making based on information supported by reliable evidence. With a unique vertically integrated approach, the company is paving the road to an optimized and cost-efficient way to space. Headquartered in Mont-Saint-Guibert (Belgium), Aerospacelab has also offices in Switzerland and France with an overall headcount of more than 200 employees.