Swissto12 to roll-out HummingSat with support from ESA Ministerial Council

SWISSto12 plays an important role in Europe’s new space ecosystem and collaborates closely with the European Space Agency (ESA) to foster innovation in the European space industry and develop new satellite products. Its new product line HummingSat, developed in partnership with ESA, is the first product in the telecommunications satellite product line for Intelsat, making SWISSto12 the first scale-up specialist in the history of the industry to sign a contract of this nature with an established telecommunications operator.

Named after the tiny, agile hummingbird, SWISSto12’s HummingSat product line showcases the disruptive technologies emerging in Europe’s space landscape. Lightweight and small, it is far more cost-effective and sustainable than conventional satellites, paving the way for better connectivity across the globe.

The HummingSat Partnership Project with the European Space Agency (ESA) is now moving into the roll-out phase thanks to fresh subscriptions in excess of €30 million received at the ESA Ministerial Conference Meeting. Participating States are Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Austria, and the Netherlands, with further subscriptions expected to be received soon.

“At SWISSto12, we are proud to be at the core of Europe’s new space ecosystem. With our HummingSat product line, we are building a next-generation telecommunications infrastructure to reliably connect 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”, said Emile de Rijk, SWISSto12 founder and CEO.

The Ministerial Conference of the ESA in Paris took place from 22 -23 November. ESA members had 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 than the previous years, showing its strong commitment to supporting space innovations in Switzerland.

The demand for next-generation satellites, advanced communications, and more sustainable access to space is skyrocketing – in Europe and globally. SWISSto12 is committed to contributing to the European space ecosystem to ensure its competitiveness in the worldwide market.

(Press release/RAN)