SWISSto12 Partners with German Consortium HPS/LSS on First-Ever Unfurling Antenna Reflector to Be Built in Europe for Commercial GEO Telecommunications Satellite
SWISSto12 announced today a major contract with German high-performance space subsystem providers HPS/LSS. The Munich-based consortium will provide a large deployable reflector subsystem (LDRS) for the NEASTAR-1 mission, built on HummingSat, enabling the world’s first direct-to-device media broadcasting capabilities from geostationary orbit.
The German-led antenna reflector subsystem is the result of more than 15 years of development under the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Advanced Research in Telecommunications (ARTES) programme, ESA’s Earth Observation Technology Development activities, and the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. The contract for the NEASTAR-1-LDRS is co-funded by ESA, with core funding from the German Space Agency within the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and further contributions from additional ESA Member States.
Since the inception of the HummingSat programme, SWISSto12 has developed a large industrial footprint in Germany; this latest contract further strengthens the German partnership and contribution to HummingSat. In the context of future cooperation, the company is positioning its small geostationary satellite and advanced multi-orbit payload technologies as a strong technical and strategic fit with the German Federal Government’s Space Strategy, in particular, with its priorities around secure communications.
The HPS/LSS consortium joins a growing network of German supply chain partners, which includes ASP, AST, DLR, Tesat, Thales Germany, Jena Optronik, and Rockwell Collins Germany. The ecosystem reflects an increasingly confident space posture, whereby European satellite companies are selected to build advanced systems for European customers – both commercial and government.
Emile de Rijk, CEO and Founder, SWISSto12 said: “Collaboration with HPS/LSS was fast and effective from the first day. We value their culture of precision engineering, deep-tech innovation, and commitment to excellence along with a drive for fast and efficient execution. They have demonstrated a strong technical heritage and proven track record in building LDRS, notably for ESA missions, underscoring the progress of ESA and DLR’s vision to develop resilient, sovereign space capabilities.”
Ernst K. Pfeiffer, CEO, HPS GmbH said: “In addition to the successful signing of another major HPS/LSS contract, we are proud to contribute to European technological sovereignty through this Swiss‑German collaboration; we are delivering tangible business results just four months after German ESA‑CM25 decisions were made.”
Leri Datashvili, Co‑CEO & Founder, LSS GmbH added: “LSS, together with HPS, is proud to pioneer LDRS technology in Europe for applications in communications, reconnaissance, and observation. Thanks to the trust of commercial customers, the German Space Agency, and ESA, we are now delivering this strategic European product to global programmes.”
Laurent Jaffart, Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity at ESA, said: “ESA’s long-term investment in innovation and partnerships enable cutting-edge technologies to be brought to market, crucially boosting Europe’s global competitiveness, while strengthening autonomy and resilience. By leveraging Europe’s industrial excellence within two of our key Member States, this contract is a prime example of how strong collaboration will be translated into advancing the next-generation of connectivity – particularly within the direct-to-device domain.”