🛰️HummingSat: a new chapter in space innovation unveiled On 16 November, a new contract between the European Space Agency - ESA and Swissto12 has been signed that will see the range of satellites move into full development and qualification of this new product line. The signature took place at ESA Headquarters in Paris and in the presence of delegations from ESA Member States. The HummingSat satellites - which take their name from the small and agile, yet seemingly stationary, hummingbird - are developed under the ARTES Partnership Projects programme, an initiative where ESA provides valuable support for developing space systems from start up to in-orbit validation. The HummingSat Partnership Project is supported by Austria, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. A single HummingSat satellite has roughly the dimensions of an industrial washing machine, making it much smaller than a standard geostationary satellite and therefore more affordable to build and launch. SWISSto12's innovative 3D-printing technology will help boost the payload performance, streamline the manufacturing process, reduce the build time and cost of production. “The HummingSat Partnership Project is a trend setter for ESA. We are working hand-in-hand with SWISSto12, a dynamic and successful company in the private space industry, leading a European consortium," said Javier Benedicto, Acting Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications at ESA. "SWISSto12 has developed into a new satellite prime contractor and set up a European supply chain. As with previous ARTES Partnership Projects, such as Neosat and Novacom, HummingSat is expected to generate exceptional return of investment for European and Canadian States participating in the programme.” 📖Read more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ejHvsqg5 🔍Discover more about ESA’s Partnership Projects and how you can collaborate with us 👉 https://lnkd.in/ewvzrCZ8 🤝Learn more about HummingSat 👉 https://lnkd.in/eMxahcGx 📷Javier Benedicto, Acting Director of ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications, and Emile de Rijk, CEO and founder of SWISSto12, complete the signature at ESA Headquarters in Paris. #telecommunications #project #satellite #esa #europeanspaceagency #connectivity #communications #satcom #satellitecommunications #workingtogether #researchanddevelopment #development #innovation #europe #partnership #3dprinting #canada #product #investment #manufacturing #returnofinvestment #space #european #collaboration #advance #worldclass #signature #contract #connect
