Alén Space meets its objectives in 2022 and positions itself as a reference in New Space

December 20, 2022

2022 has been a turning point for Alén Space. The company specialised in the design, manufacture and operation of small satellites has recorded a record year, in which it exceeded its commercial and technical expectations, as well as establishing itself as one of the most recognised Spanish companies in the New Space sector.

Over these months, Alén Space grew in its technological capabilities and increased its staff, launched products, established alliances with other space providers, organised its own event and formalised new projects, among other activities. This year also coincided with the tenth anniversary of the launch of Xatcobeo, the first project on which the company’s founders worked, a symbolic date for all the progress that has been made in this decade.

Increase in staff and launch of new product: TREVO

The growth in the number of projects has led Alén Space to carry out a considerable reinforcement of its workforce, (79% increase of professionals), with the aim of guaranteeing the compliance of the projects.

The small satellite company has also expanded its product portfolio with the announcement of the launch of its TREVO subsystem, designed as a modular platform that integrates multiple systems and transceivers into a single unit. This product with a high performance software defined radio (SDR) enables customisation of satellite communications.

Closing of scientific projects and commercial agreements

2022 has allowed Alén Space to successfully complete scheduled missions for this year. Although many of the projects are subject to confidentiality agreements, others have been made public, such as the launch of the Alfa Crux mission satellite, a collaboration project with the University of Brasilia (UnB), which was provided with the technology and practical training needed to build a nanosatellite for research in the field of IoT communications; or the provision of ground stations to entities in various countries, such as the UK, Australia, Argentina and Ecuador. Moreover, it is remarkable the recent installation of a new ground station at the Canary Islands Space Centre (CEC) of the Spanish National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) to monitor the ANSER mission (Advanced Nanosatellites Systems for Earth Observation Research), a EO project to study global warming in which Alén Space also participates with other products and solutions in the space segment.

During this time, the first steps of new missions have been taken, such as the SATMAR project, a study of the viability of the VDES (VHF Data Exchange System) standard to digitalize maritime communications in which Egatel also collaborates. To this mission a CubeSat 6U will be designed, manufactured, launched and put into orbit, in an initiative selected by the Ports 4.0 capital fund of Puertos del Estado and the Spanish Port Authorities.

In global numbers, Alén Space will end the year with a presence in 16 countries and underpinning the international character of the company, capable of providing services to companies and start-ups in New Space as well as to educational and scientific institutions.

Participation in events and IAF membership confirmation

Once the coronavirus crisis is over, many of the top-level international events linked to the New Space sector and the space industry have returned to a physical format, an opportunity that the Alén Space commercial team took advantage of to promote the company’s products and services.

Some of these visits include participation in a new edition of the Small Satellite International Forum (SSSIF) Congress, where Alén Space won one of the challenges proposed in the Indra Challenges; the company was also represented at the 4S Symposium, Small Satellite Conference or Space Tech Expo Europe, events in which new collaboration agreements and business deals were closed.

Particular attention to the presence with its own stand at the IAC Paris 2022, an event that coincided with the confirmation of Alén Space as a full member of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), only 12 Spanish entities can currently boast it.

Celebration of the second edition of New Space España

One of the greatest challenges of the year was the organisation and holding of the second edition of New Space España, a pioneering event that had held its first edition in 2018. 2022 also brought together the main companies, start-ups and organisations related to Spanish and international New Space and the space sector. Under the motto ‘El camino hacia el liderazgo global’, the idea of this congress was to promote Spain as a power and benchmark in the industries linked to New Space.

Alén Space was once again the main organizer of this event held in Vigo, which managed to bring together in this edition more than 200 attendees and 90 companies. The congress was attended by more than 35 leading voices of the sector, who discussed various topics on space innovation, trends and key issues of New Space.

New Space España also had GMV and Indra as main sponsors, joined by the sponsorship and support of 12 other major companies and public bodies.

All these milestones make 2022 a successful year for Alén Space, which allows it to look towards the future with optimism. For 2023, the company’s main objectives are to maintain the current line of growth, strengthen the communication subsystems products and consolidate its position as a leading technology provider in the national and international market for all types of small satellites.