SWISSto12’s HummingSat secures €30 million support
January 24, 2023
SWISSto12, a provider of additively manufactured antenna and radio frequency (RF) system products headquartered in Renens, Switzerland, has announced that the HummingSat Partnership Project with the European Space Agency (ESA) is moving forward with the rollout of the HummingSat satellite product line. This is said to be due to new subscriptions in excess of €30 million received at the ESA Ministerial Conference Meeting in November. Participating States include Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Austria, Norway and the Netherlands, with further subscriptions expected to be received in the coming months.
SWISSto12 is reportedly playing an important role in Europe’s new space ecosystem, and collaborates closely with ESA to foster innovation in the European space industry and develop new satellite products.
“At SWISSto12, we are proud to be at the core of Europe’s new space ecosystem,” stated Dr Emile de Rijk, SWISSto12 founder and CEO. “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.”
At November’s Ministerial Conference in Paris, ESA members agreed to contribute €16.923 billion over the next three years, a 16.6% increase from the previous ministerial in 2019 with Switzerland contributing 3.7%. The Swiss Space Office also subscribed a higher amount compared to the previous years.
The HummingSat product line is intended to be a showcase for disruptive technologies emerging in Europe’s space landscape. Lightweight and small, it is said to be more cost-effective and sustainable than conventional satellites, paving the way for better connectivity across the globe.
“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,” added Andreas Mauroschat, ESA Partnership and Opportunity Satellites Programme Manager. “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.”
