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WTA’s Interviews Press Benchmark

[SatNews] Ambitious and informative, this the second of its kind…

The World Teleport Association today released the second annual Satellite Operator Benchmarks report, which covers interviews with over 80 teleport executives around the world who rated the commercial and operational practices of the major satellite operators.  The new report is available free to members of the association.  

The report tracks, rates and compares performance, as experienced by a major buyer segment of satellite capacity, and examines key elements of the relationship between teleports and satellite providers, including the quality of sales staff, customer communications, pricing consistency, and the degree and fairness of competition with teleports.  WTA’s report also looks at operational availability, the handling of interference and of outages, both planned and unplanned.

In operational practice, all of the satellite operators received a strong ranking, on average, across all factors of the study.  

As in the 2011 edition of the study, in commercial practice, there was a significant spread between the top and lower-ranked operators.  Arabsat and Telesat were rated as the best performing commercial operators.  SES performed in the middle of the rankings and Intelsat and Eutelsat were rated next, with the report indicating that teleport operators believe these providers can improve performance against the commercial parameters.   

According to WTA, the 2012 Benchmarks report showed commercial and operational improvements in response to  the results from the 2011 report.

Satellite Operators: Vendors and Competitors
Competition between teleport operators and satellite operators for the same business, however, remains a complex and lingering issue.  Satellite operators are vendors to teleports.  “But when they choose to compete directly for the same business, their control of the orbital asset gives them the power to offer prices no teleport operator can match,” the report states.  

According to Robert Bell, WTA Executive Director, “Competition is complex, and there is no single right answer to competitive policy.  We thank the teleport executives who contributed to the study.  We believe that WTA can continue playing a constructive role in contributing to a better understanding of the issues across the industry.  We remain committed to ensuring that teleport operators and satellite operators continue the dialogue so that their customers can profit.”

SES Space & Defense and Starlab Partner on O3b mPOWER Space-to-Space Relay Architecture

SES Space & Defense, a wholly owned subsidiary of SES, announced an agreement on Monday, July 27, 2026, with Starlab Space to supply continuous, low-latency Low Earth Orbit Relay Services (LRS) for the upcoming Starlab commercial space station.

Under the collaborative framework, SES Space & Defense will integrate space-to-space communications leveraging its next-generation O3b mPOWER Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation to deliver uninterrupted connectivity for station crew, microgravity research payloads, and ground-based flight control operations.

Commercial Space Station Framework and Infrastructure Context

Starlab Space—a U.S.-led joint venture among Voyager Space, Airbus Defence and Space, Mitsubishi Corporation, MDA Space, Palantir Technologies, and Space Applications Services—is developing its free-flying platform under NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development (CLD) Program. The initiative aims to maintain a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and ensure a seamless transition for microgravity science following the scheduled retirement of the International Space Station.

To support the heavy operational requirements of the continuously crewed habitat, Starlab selected SES Space & Defense for its multi-orbit space and ground network capabilities. The selection follows prior platform milestones, including Starlab’s decision to launch the entire single-module station to orbit aboard a SpaceX Starship launch vehicle.

Operational Parameters of the Multi-Orbit Relay System

Direct-to-ground communications from LEO satellites and orbital stations routinely face periodic blackout windows and latency delays during transits between terrestrial ground station footprints. The LEO Relay Service overcomes these data delays by routing Starlab’s operational data, telemetry, and scientific output through SES’s high-throughput O3b mPOWER MEO constellation, which relays signals directly down to global terrestrial networks in near real-time.

The communications architecture is the outcome of two years of joint engineering analysis conducted throughout 2025 and 2026. Engineering teams from both organizations modeled in-orbit signal performance, evaluated multi-orbit terminal hardware, and tailored the relay topology to fit Starlab’s high-rate data requirements.

Executive Statements on Station Operations

“Human spaceflight and commercial research missions demand government-grade communications with reliability, security, and resilience at commercially affordable price points,” said SES Space & Defense President and CEO David Broadbent. “By integrating our LEO Relay Services into Starlab’s core operations, we’re setting a new benchmark for always-on communications across commercial LEO infrastructure.”

“Mission success in Low Earth Orbit depends on resilient, always-available communications infrastructure,” said Brad Henderson, Chief Commercial Officer of Starlab. “Through our collaboration with SES Space & Defense, we are building a robust, secure, and highly resilient communications architecture that ensures continuous connectivity and real-time mission awareness across all phases of station operations.”

Service Rollout and Expansion Roadmap

The integrated relay architecture will be fully operational at the launch of the Starlab commercial platform. Bandwidth capacity and relay capabilities will systematically scale over the station’s operational lifespan as next-generation user terminals and updated space-to-space transceiver systems come online.

GAO Report Warns Space Force Must Improve Personnel Metrics to Support Fleet Expansion

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released on Saturday, July 25, 2026, reveals that the U.S. Space Force faces an acute 25 percent staffing shortfall as the service prepares to double its active workforce over the next five years.


The findings emphasize that without formalized operational metrics to track manpower requirements, personnel deficits risk delaying critical space domain awareness and satellite defense missions.

Workforce Shortfalls and Growth Projections

The report indicates that current staffing constraints directly impact operational readiness across multiple space operations squadrons. To meet expanding strategic demands—particularly growing orbital activity from China—the service plans a major workforce expansion ahead of the upcoming 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) cycles.

“Acute staffing shortages are actively jeopardizing program recovery, with severe workforce issues including staff reductions or systemic difficulties hiring and retaining qualified aerospace engineers,” noted a relatedGAO assessment on Space Force acquisitions.

MetricCurrent Status / TargetImpact Area
Active Staffing Shortfall25% DeficitSatellite operations & engineering units
5-Year Growth Plan100% Increase (Double Personnel Size)Operational capacity & constellation oversight
Legislative Framework2027 NDAA ProvisionsPersonnel authorizations & budget allocation

Broader Context of Military Space Expansion

The staffing critique comes as Congress increases funding for military space architectures, including expanded allocations in the FY26 Defense Appropriations Act for proliferated Low Earth Orbit (pLEO) constellations and missile defense networks. However, the GAO notes that fielding larger satellite networks without a proportional, properly measured ground operator pool risks creating critical operational bottlenecks.

Next Steps for Implementation

The GAO recommends that the Department of the Air Force establish standardized workload assessment tools to accurately define manpower requirements before submitting future budget requests. Space Force leadership is expected to present revised staffing benchmarks ahead of the fiscal year 2027 budget submission to Congress.

LTN Crosses 3,000 Satellite-to-IP Migrations Following FCC Action on Upper C-Band Spectrum

Media technology provider LTN announced on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, that it has completed more than 3,000 satellite-to-IP workflow migrations across broadcaster, multi-channel video programming distributor (MVPD), head-end, and content owner facilities.


The benchmark coincided with a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) vote establishing rules for the upcoming auction of Upper C-Band spectrum, accelerating the industry’s shift away from legacy satellite distribution.

Performance Benchmarks and Operational Specifications

The managed IP infrastructure delivers alternative transport options for full-time linear feeds and high-bandwidth occasional-use sports and news programming:

  • Service Reliability SLA: Built on a fully managed IP network architecture providing 99.9999% availability.
  • Network Latency: Maintains global point-to-point latency under 200 milliseconds for live broadcast synchronization.
  • Cost Efficiency: Reduces distribution operating expenses by 40% to 60% compared to traditional C-band space segment leases.
  • Edge Coverage: Reaches over 330 local stations—including rural markets and remote endpoints in Alaska, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—for public broadcasting and regional media networks.

Executive Perspective on Transition Flexibility

“Every broadcaster’s needs are different, and no two migration journeys are the same,” stated Malik Khan, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of LTN. “Our role is to understand each customer’s priorities and help them build the right path to IP. Thousands of successful migrations have given us the practical experience that helps reduce risk, simplify deployment and support customers at every stage.”

Operational Outlook Amid Spectrum Contraction

As the FCC proceeds with reallocating Upper C-Band frequencies for terrestrial mobile networks, content networks are transitioning to hybrid or pure IP models to mitigate rising satellite capacity constraints. Broadcasters including MASN, MSG Networks, PBS, Scripps, TelevisaUnivision, and the Tennis Channel have integrated LTN’s managed IP framework to maintain primary distribution continuity across both linear television and digital platforms, reflecting broader industry adaptation detailed in SatNews’ ongoing analysis of the C-Band spectrum squeeze.

Balancing Orbit: How Regulators Trade Commercial Viability for National Security

Targeting the widening capability gap between international defense frameworks and fast-evolving private earth observation sensors, national space regulators are actively modifying how they oversee commercial remote sensing operators.

The central regulatory challenge pivots on an economic paradox: if a government restricts a domestic satellite firm from selling high-resolution imagery to protect military secrets, those commercial clients will simply purchase comparable data from foreign competitors.

To prevent this flight of capital while safeguarding tactical assets, bodies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs (CRSRA) office utilize structured, tiered frameworks that dynamically adjust to global market realities.

The Three-Tier Licensing Metric

In the United States, commercial remote sensing systems face an interagency evaluation process involving the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of State, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The evaluation relies on a three-tier operational matrix:

Tier StatusStructural DefinitionOperational Restrictions
Tier 1Systems whose data capabilities are already substantially available from foreign sources.Minimal. Fast-tracked review windows (typically 60 to 90 days) with standard commercial operating rules.
Tier 2Systems whose capabilities are uniquely available from U.S. operators but matched by planned foreign systems.Moderate. Subject to limited geographic or temporal distribution constraints to protect active operations.
Tier 3Systems featuring novel technologies (e.g., $<25\text{cm}$ optical, sub-meter Synthetic Aperture Radar [SAR], specialized hyperspectral bands) unmatched globally.Extensive. Temporary capability caps, strict data-routing mandates, and extended review timelines up to 240 days.

Mitigating Risk via Financial Security Incentives

The operational rationale behind the tiered architecture is to incentivize private aerospace firms to design systems that fall within Tier 1 parameters when high-end technical differentiation is not required. By launching sensors that match existing foreign market baselines, companies can achieve rapid clearance, execute immediate commercial data purchases, and bypass intensive national security vetting.

Conversely, for Tier 3 operators pushing the limits of orbital collection, regulators apply temporary conditions rather than outright permanent bans. These temporary conditions scale back or blur raw imagery outputs until foreign competitors inevitably bridge the technology gap, at which point the system is reassessed and downgraded to a less restrictive tier.

Transparency Standards and Legislation

The friction between corporate operational speed and regulatory caution remains a significant focus on Capitol Hill. Legislative efforts like the Commercial Remote Sensing Amendment Act (H.R. 1325) aim to enforce stricter accountability on the interagency review pipeline. While the bill does not alter the underlying national security review criteria, it mandates that NOAA publicly report its tier-categorization rationales and map its processing backlogs. This structural change provides private equity and corporate planners with transparent benchmarks to accurately project launch timelines and capital expenditure schedules.

Space Force and True Anomaly Complete First Tactical Intercept of VICTUS HAZE Mission

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA — On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the U.S. Space Force and space defense contractor True Anomaly announced the successful completion of the first tactical operational sortie under the high-stakes VICTUS HAZE mission.


Operating under strict, operationally realistic conditions mandated by Space Systems Command (SSC), True Anomaly’s JACKAL-0004 autonomous orbital vehicle executed a rapid rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) intercept to find, approach, and image a newly deployed target satellite within 61 hours of receiving an action order—decisively beating the military’s strict 72-hour mission target.

The operational milestone provides the first real-world validation of the Pentagon’s Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) framework, transitioning the military from long-term, months-long planning cycles to dynamic on-orbit threat responses measured in mere hours.

The Responsive Launch and Intercept Sequence

The tactical sequence commenced on June 19, 2026, when the Space Force issued a snap launch notice to Rocket Lab. Executing a record-breaking responsive launch profile, Rocket Lab successfully deployed its target spacecraft, designated Puma, aboard an Electron rocket from its New Zealand spaceport just 16 hours and 42 minutes after receiving the alert order. Puma was injected into a previously unannounced, classified orbit to simulate an un-cooperative, adversarial space asset.

+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                  VICTUS HAZE 61-HOUR OPERATIONAL LOG              |
|                                                                   |
| [T+00 Hrs] Space Force Orders Intercept Sortie ───────────────────┐ |
|                                                                   │ |
| [T+04 Hrs] Ground Sensors & Space Radar Lock Custody of Puma      │ |
|                                                                   ├─► Total: 61 Hrs
| [T+12 Hrs] Mosaic Mission Engine Designs Autonomous Flight Path   │   (Beating the
|                                                                   │    72-Hour Target)
| [T+48 Hrs] JACKAL-0004 Executes Precision Main Engine Burns      │ |
|                                                                   │ |
| [T+61 Hrs] Full Relative Circumnavigation & Multi-Aspect Imaging ─┘ |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

Operating independently and without direct operational communication between the hardware teams outside a secure, siloed defense tracking channel, True Anomaly utilized ground sensors to lock custody of the target within hours of insertion. From its primary base orbit, the JACKAL-0004 vehicle—which had been launched into LEO earlier in May via a SpaceX Transporter rideshare—executed a series of aggressive orbital maneuvers to close the relative geometry. The intercepting spacecraft completed multiple close-in circumnavigations of the Puma satellite, capturing multi-aspect high-resolution intelligence imagery and sensor telemetry before safely egressing back to its baseline path.

Technical Software Architecture and Spacecraft Parameters

The orchestration, precision trajectory calculations, and closed-loop optical tracking sequences were entirely automated via Mosaic, True Anomaly’s proprietary multi-vehicle command and control software engine. The system ingested tactical intents from Space Force operators and translated them directly into algorithmic flight paths, removing the slow, manual review cycles that traditionally restrict military satellite operations.

The JACKAL vehicle line is explicitly manufactured to support active counterspace capabilities, space domain awareness (SDA) maneuvers, and tactical intercept operations. The spacecraft features a modular chassis optimized for high delta-V propulsion capabilities, utilizing a high-performance propellant stack to execute sudden orbital plane changes. The payload configuration includes specialized close-range imaging sensors, laser rangefinders, and tracking cameras that operate in conjunction with autonomous flight software to maintain precise station-keeping positions around un-cooperative targets without triggering collision hazards.

Strategic Positioning Within the Andromeda Program

The success of the initial VICTUS HAZE sortie significantly strengthens True Anomaly’s technical positioning as it competes for extensive operational tranches under the Space Force’s $6.2 billion Andromeda program. The multi-year Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle represents the defense sector’s primary funding pipeline to establish a highly maneuverable, proliferated reconnaissance and space domain awareness constellation in both low Earth and geosynchronous orbits (GEO).

“VICTUS HAZE proves that responsive launch and responsive characterization are a single capability,” stated True Anomaly CEO Even Rogers, noting that the mission simulated the complex threat detection steps required to counter fast-moving space assets deployed by adversarial states. According to defense planners, the successful 61-hour turnaround sets a repeatable operational benchmark as the Space Force prepares to scale up its TacRS flight cadences to maintain absolute space superiority across congested orbital shells.

Congressional Oversight Reassertion: House Appropriators Back $55.5 Billion Space Force Budget, Denouncing “Golden Dome” Funding Maneuvers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a legislative pushback against the Pentagon’s alternative budgeting strategies, the House Appropriations Committee has formally approved a $55.5 billion discretionary budget for the U.S. Space Force.


While the legislation provides the service branch with a substantial baseline to advance its multi-orbit architecture, the committee used the markup to sharply criticize the Defense Department’s reliance on mandatory reconciliation funds to backstop critical space hardware programs, specifically targeting the high-profile “Golden Dome” defense project.

Concurrently, lawmakers included strict policy directives aimed at the Space Systems Command (SSC), urging the acquisition branch to break down legacy single-vendor dependencies and foster wider commercial competition within the military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) sector.

The Reconciliation Fight and the Scrutiny of the “Golden Dome”

The primary friction point during the budget markup centered on the Pentagon’s structural request mechanics. In its initial fiscal planning, the Department of the Air Force attempted to bypass traditional discretionary spending caps by utilizing a massive, $350 billion mandatory reconciliation funding mechanism to fast-track its most ambitious, long-term aerospace programs.

This included a requested $17.5 billion allocation for the “Golden Dome” project—an integrated space-defense shield—alongside $3.9 billion for the Space Data Network. By diverting these programs into mandatory spending pools, the Pentagon effectively attempted to bypass the annual congressional appropriations cycle.

House appropriators rejected this maneuver, completely omitting the requested reconciliation funds from the bill. Lawmakers argued that attempting to bankroll foundational, multi-billion-dollar military space systems through non-discretionary channels circumvents standard congressional oversight and creates immense long-term funding instability.

Committee leaders noted that if the Golden Dome shield and advanced data networks are as operationally vital to national security as the Pentagon claims, they must be subjected to the full, sustained scrutiny of the standard appropriations process, bringing the hardware programs entirely back into the discretionary ledger where they can be systematically vetted against performance benchmarks.

Demanding Market Agility: The MILSATCOM Competition Mandate

Beyond the high-level fiscal skirmishes, the committee issued an explicit policy directive targeting the Space Force’s satellite communications acquisition pipeline.

The committee expressed explicit concern that large-scale defense programs remain dangerously tethered to legacy aerospace primes. While the Space Force has made strides in diversifying its tactical footprints—evidenced by recent broadband and narrowband expansions like the Wideband Global SATCOM and Mobile User Objective System service life extensions—lawmakers want a faster pivot toward commercial interoperability.

The report urges the Space Force to open up more procurement avenues to agile, commercial small-satellite operators and emerging commercial low-Earth orbit broadband vendors. By forcing a more open market environment, the committee aims to drive down unit procurement costs for user terminals, accelerate field integration timelines, and ensure that the military data transport layer does not become a single point of failure under electronic warfare or anti-satellite threats.

Sustaining Momentum Amid Financial Discipline

Despite the sharp language regarding budgeting mechanics and procurement monopolies, the committee praised the rapid maturation of the Space Force into a lean, highly specialized warfighting branch. The approved $55.5 billion allocation solidifies the service’s baseline capability to scale its proliferated low-Earth orbit tracking layers, fortify ground segment networks against advanced cybersecurity vectors, and maintain launch pace.

Moving forward into the full house vote, the budget sets up a clear geopolitical message: Congress will fully fund the physical, multi-orbit hardening of the nation’s space domain, but it will do so through transparent, discretionary channels that reinforce accountability over bureaucratic shortcuts.

Space Tech vs. Biothreat: GMV Deploys Earth Observation and AI Core to Fight Invasive Pacific Seaweed in Portugal

LISBON, PORTUGAL — June 25, 2026 — Confronting a silent, accelerating ecological invasion along the Atlantic shoreline, technology multinational GMV has partnered with the Municipality of Cascais and the Plymouth Marine Laboratory to launch a space-based predictive defense system.


The initiative aims to track, map, and anticipate the coastal movements of Rugulopteryx okamurae, an aggressive brown seaweed native to the Pacific waters of Asia that is currently destabilizing marine ecosystems across Western Europe.

Funded directly by the Cascais local government, the 12-month program is designated as EO4RO (Earth Observation for the Mapping and Monitoring of Rugulopteryx okamurae). The joint venture marks a shift from reactive, land-based beach cleanup operations to a predictive, space-to-ocean early warning framework.

Overturning a Reactive Environmental Crisis

First detected in the Mediterranean Sea in 2002, Rugulopteryx okamurae has adapted aggressively to Atlantic currents. In recent years, the invasive macroalgae has blanketed European coastal zones with thick, decomposing mats of organic material. The environmental and economic fallout has been severe, driving up municipal beach maintenance budgets, degrading protected underwater habitats, entangling commercial fishing nets, and disrupting local tourism economies.

Praia da Rainha before and inundated with seaweed.

Historically, coastal management teams have operated blindly, deploying cleanup crews only after tons of seaweed wash ashore. The EO4RO platform alters this dynamic by transforming data from European orbital assets into predictive, actionable models.

The Predictive Modeling Stack

The technical architecture merges multi-spectral satellite imagery with real-time marine analytics, routing data through automated AI processing pipelines to deliver predictive foresight:

  • Near Real-Time Extent Mapping: Processing spectral signatures from orbit to pinpoint the exact perimeter of offshore algae blooms.
  • Hydrodynamic Drift Simulations: Fusing ocean current velocity, sea surface heights, and local wind stress models to track and forecast the drift velocity of the seaweed biomass.
  • Benthic Habitat Vulnerability Mapping: Generating structural underwater charts to isolate and defend local native marine sanctuaries most susceptible to smothering.
  • Automated Threat Dissemination: Triggering push alerts to local port authorities, civil protection units, and commercial fisheries well ahead of land impact.

The technical playbook builds directly upon analytical architectures originally engineered by GMV and PML to model maritime oil spills, intercept illegal waste discharges, and track severe oceanographic anomalies.

Scaling Sovereign Space Solutions

GMV brings deep European Space Agency (ESA) and institutional pedigree to the consortium. The multinational technology group is a foundational player within the European Union’s Copernicus Earth Observation programme, responsible for the development, operational logic, and end-to-end mission planning software networks for the Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3, Sentinel-6, and upcoming CO2M satellite series.

Concurrently, the Plymouth Marine Laboratory provides the oceanographic baseline data, translating orbital radiometer and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) returns into highly specific biological metrics.

“This collaboration demonstrates the potential of cooperation between science, technology, and local government to address emerging environmental challenges. Cascais is committed to remaining at the forefront of innovation applied to the protection and sustainable management of coastal areas,” noted Nuno Piteira Lopes, Mayor of Cascais.

Establishing a European Benchmark

If the initial 12-month pilot project across the Cascais coast meets validation targets, the municipality will serve as the premier operational case study for algorithmic, smart coastal defense infrastructure in Europe. Given that Rugulopteryx okamurae continues to march northward and southward unchecked, the unified EO4RO software model is designed to be highly replicable, offering an identical plug-and-play monitoring architecture for vulnerable shorelines extending from the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean down to the Algarve and the Canary Islands.

Filipe Brandão, Senior Project Manager at GMV in Portugal, emphasized that the deployment underscores the true societal value of advanced space systems:

“We are applying technologies developed to address global challenges to a very specific problem affecting beaches, ecosystems, and local economies,” Brandão stated. “If we manage to predict the problem before it occurs, we will save time, reduce public expenditure and improve environmental protection. That is the true potential of this project.“

Sovereign Space Expansion: Spain’s FOSSA Systems Secures €9.25M to Scale Defense Constellation and SIGINT Infrastructure

MADRID, SPAIN — June 24, 2026 — FOSSA Systems, a prominent player in the European space and defense ecosystem, has officially closed a €9.25 million funding round to accelerate its international expansion and aggressively deploy its sovereign low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation.


The investment round was led by Kibo Ventures and features heavy institutional backing from the newly established Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT)—an entity attached to Spain’s Ministry for Digital Transformation and Civil Service. Additional participants in the syndicate include the Space Frontiers Fund II (managed by Japan’s SPARX Asset Management), Indico Capital Partners, and WISeSAT. The capital injection brings FOSSA’s total funding since inception to nearly €20 million.

Vertical Integration and the Push for SIGINT Autonomy

Founded in 2020 by Julián Fernández and Vicente González, FOSSA Systems has scaled rapidly to become Spain’s most active satellite operator, having successfully orbited 25 satellites to date. The company’s upcoming launch in the consecutive weeks will place its 26th satellite into orbit as part of a broader blueprint to field a 140-satellite global Internet of Things (IoT) network.

FOSSA specializes in vertical integration, developing its own core technologies encompassing the spacecraft bus, localized ground stations, and custom IoT edge sensors. By operating an entirely sovereign chain, the company builds and delivers highly specialized satellite platforms ranging from 10 kg picosatellites to multi-payload 150 kg microsatellites.

The company’s technology stack addresses mission-critical applications across industrial and governmental vertices, including energy grid optimization, agricultural analytics, logistics tracking, and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) for national security operations.

Mitigating Geopolitical Dependencies at the Edge

The capital injection coincides with a profound strategic shifts across the European Union toward strategic autonomy and resilient localized space architecture. As space assets cement themselves as vital defense infrastructure, European nations are heavily prioritizing space operators capable of deploying payload capacity without outside technological dependencies.

“Thanks to FOSSA, small nations, Ministries of Defence, and global corporations can define and execute their own space strategy in just a few months, while the vertical integration of the entire technology chain has allowed us to reduce costs by an order of magnitude,” stated Julián Fernández, CEO and co-founder of FOSSA. “In just a few years, we have gone from being a startup to an internationally present company with 25 satellites launched and technology that responds to real needs of industrial, institutional, and governmental clients. Our goal is to establish FOSSA as a European benchmark in sovereign space infrastructure.”

Juan López Santamaría, Partner at Kibo Ventures, highlighted the company’s rapid operational execution as a vital differentiator for the European defense sector:

“Europe needs technological champions capable of reducing dependencies in strategic sectors,” Santamaría noted. “FOSSA has demonstrated that it can develop and operate sovereign space infrastructure with exceptional speed and efficiency.” Following the close of the transaction, Santamaría will formally join FOSSA’s board of directors.

Penetrating the Allied Defense Market

FOSSA’s defense credentials have steadily gained momentum across allied networks. The company was recently selected to participate in NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) program, selected for its advanced low-Earth orbit electromagnetic and signals intelligence capabilities.

Concurrently, FOSSA is accelerating its international commercial push. With existing offices operating in Madrid and Lisbon, the company has established its third international corporate presence in Tokyo, Japan. The expansion is backed by a major strategic agreement with Japanese industrial powerhouse Kanematsu Corporation to formally introduce and deploy FOSSA’s space intelligence and dual-use technologies directly into the Japanese Ministry of Defense market.

Sovereign Electronic Warfare: Eviden and Hexadrone Partner to Integrate Tactical SIGINT onto Modular Drone Fleet

The landscape of tactical intelligence is moving toward highly adaptable, unmanned systems designed to operate within contested modern battlefields. Eviden, an Atos Group brand specializing in mission-critical systems, and French industrial drone manufacturer Hexadrone have announced a joint development agreement to field sovereign signals intelligence capabilities directly onto modular tactical mini-drones.


The partnership combines specialized hardware engineering to create a flexible, rapidly deployable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance asset for armed forces.

The Plug-and-Flight Approach to Electronic Warfare

Modern military operations face an increasingly complex electromagnetic environment. To build an effective picture of an adversary’s electronic order of battle, command units require versatile platforms that can be customized on the ground without prolonged logistical delays.

The core of the new collaboration centers on a plug-and-flight design logic. Eviden, through its Avantix electronic warfare business unit, will supply compact, multi-platform compatible SIGINT payloads. These specialized sensor systems are built to detect, intercept, geolocate, and analyze adversarial communication networks and radar emissions in real time.

Rather than engineering a fixed, single-purpose reconnaissance aircraft, these compact sensors will be integrated into Hexadrone’s flagship TUNDRA 2 open-architecture drone platform.

Hardened Architecture for Harsh Theaters

The TUNDRA 2 platform is specifically optimized for multi-mission scalability in the field. Built on a rugged framework featuring interchangeable arms and an IP54 weatherproofing rating, the drone can carry payloads of up to 6 kilograms with a maximum takeoff weight of 15 kilograms. Depending on configuration, it can achieve flight times of up to an hour and speeds up to 65 km/h.

Traditional drone systems often suffer from rigid vendor lock-in, forcing operators to deploy separate aircraft for electronic warfare, mapping, or standard optical scouting. By pairing Hexadrone’s physical modularity with Avantix’s software-defined payloads, a single drone body can be reconfigured using basic field tools. Technicians can rapidly adapt the aircraft from an urban reconnaissance asset to a specialized long-endurance SIGINT collector by swapping components right at the operational line.

Immediate Field Deployment and European Standards

The initiative responds to an urgent push within European defense ministries to build secure, domestic supply chains for tactical unmanned aerial systems, reducing dependencies on foreign commercial hardware.

“By partnering, we are taking another step forward in the development of drone platforms designed to integrate advanced intelligence capabilities,” said Bernard Payer, Director of Critical Mission Systems at Eviden and President of Avantix. “By combining Hexadrone’s modular drones with Avantix payloads, we are providing armed forces with safe, operationally proven solutions ready for immediate deployment in the field for demanding operations requiring high performance and technological control.“

Alexandre Labesse, President of Hexadrone, added that the collaboration aligns directly with the company’s long-term strategy to deliver ruggedized tactical systems that satisfy the highest European industrial and regulatory safety benchmarks while directly serving the immediate, evolving infrastructure needs of frontline armed forces.