STI & CST Solar Array Factory opening

SpaceTech (STI) and CarboSpaceTech (CST) inaugurated a new highly automated solar array factory, consolidating our leadership in solar arrays for satellite constellations. During the opening, we showcased our capabilities in deployable solar arrays, photonic and quantum technological instruments, structures, mechanisms, electronics, and complete space missions.

On Thursday the 13th October 2022, our new production line for solar arrays for satellites was opened in Immenstaad-Kippenhausen with numerous local, national and international guests.

These words from the opening speeches are the best motivation and statements for us at SpaceTech and our subsidiary CarboSpaceTech, that we are on the right track. Likewise, we are at least as pleased with the words of greeting from James Hinds, CEO Airbus OneWeb Satellites, the German government's aerospace coordinator, Dr. Anna Christmann, and from Dr. Walther Pelzer, member of the DLR Executive Board, responsible for the German Space Agency, who took part in the opening by personal video message and whose visit we expect next week.

With the opening of the new hall for the series production of deployable solar arrays, we are significantly expanding our production capacities and are thus in a position to continue to meet the growing demand from our global customers in a timely and efficient manner.

With this plant, and the new orders for hundreds of solar arrays for several satellite constellations signed these days, among others for Airbus OneWeb Satellites, we are now not only the leading supplier of solar arrays for ESA Earth Observation satellites (STI solar arrays will be used on 4 of the 6 upcoming Copernicus Sentinel satellites, among others), but also the market leader in the constellation sector. The utilization of the production capacity is secured for the coming years.

Founded in 2004 in the building of a former gardening nursery, SpaceTech has grown within 18 years from a 2-man company to an established space SME with currently 120 employees. A total of 1045 units of STI are in orbit on 443 satellites. Besides solar arrays, photonic and quantum technological instruments, structures, mechanisms and electronics for space flight, as well as the realization of complete small space missions are further essential business areas for us:

• We are a competence center for photonic and quantum technological systems for Earth Observation, science and navigation. With our work for the gravitational missions GRACE FO, GRACE-I and NGGM for the GFZ, DLR and ESA we are leading in Europe in the field of satellite-based laser metrology for climate research. For MERLIN, LISA and optical clocks for future Galileo generations we develop laser systems and optical frequency references with highest requirements.
• Our mechanisms and electronics are used, among other things, for solar array deployment on satellites, ESA's Jupiter mission JUICE, as well as for the planned space station in lunar orbit and the European navigation system Galileo.
• The ICARUS for bird observation from the ISS is an example of our capability complete space systems and missions.

All these activities have led to strong growth thanks to the inventiveness of our employees and the trust of our clients in us. We want to remain a medium-sized company, but we will continue to grow in a controlled manner and are currently looking for new employees.

We serve customers from all over the world, have employees from many countries and yet we remain firmly rooted here in Immenstaad-Kippenhausen.

SpaceTech wouldn't be SpaceTech if we didn't do some things differently - At the factory opening, we also opened the view beyond space technology: The artist Andrea Sroka enriched the festivities with her exhibition "Partitur zur Raumfahrt". It created an interesting field of tension between art and high technology, which will certainly remain in the memory of all of us for a longer time.

SpaceTech – A New Way for Space

STI running team success at ZF company run 2022

Together with other 4.254 runners from big and smalll companies of the area around Lake Constance, the STI running team started yesterday at 6 pm on the 5.5 km distance ZF company run. Even the high temperature of 28 degrees Celsius could not stop the motivated STI teams, resulting in great rankings: best STI men's team 28. place of 336 teams and best STI mixed team place 43. of 305 teams.

Thank you team for the good vibes, motivation and effort you put in this event!

Find more details:
https://www.firmenlauf-fn.de/

NewSpace from Lake Constance
More than 1,000 units from SpaceTech GmbH in orbit

SpaceTech headquarters at Lake Constance in Immenstaad (credit: STI)

What a journey! With the successful launch of OneWeb satellites on February 10th, 2022, more than 1,000 SpaceTech units - to be exact, 1038 units on 442 satellites - are in orbit on many different satellites as well as on the ISS. We are proud to state that all of them either are working nominally or are exceeding their specification significantly.

18 years STI – from start up to established space system provider

2004, long before “NewSpace” became popular, STI was founded, driven by the idea to make spaceflight more affordable, more efficient, smarter and easier. Sharing the STI founders’ vision, others quickly followed. Now being an SME with 120 employees this vision remains our biggest driver. We look back on many success stories, forming a great space heritage that our customers and partners benefit from. We are part of space missions with worldwide recognition such as GRACE Follow-On, ICARUS, OneWeb and YORK as well as a multitude of ESA and EU missions, such as several Copernicus Sentinels, Galileo, EUCLID, PLATO, JUICE and LISA…they became too many to list them all without boring our readers. Small or big project, we never lose our start-up spirit, discovering new ways in the space sector.
We offer a wide range of products, ranging from solar arrays, mechanisms and carbon fiber structures to whole photonic and quantum technological instruments and End-to-End space systems.

STI solar arrays – smart design and automated production

With about two solar arrays leaving our factory each day, SpaceTech has acquired a leading role in the global space solar array market. Starting with body-mounted and single-hinge deployable solar arrays, we now also design and manufacture highly demanding multi-hinge deployable solar arrays with up to five panels per wing, including deployment mechanisms and solar array drive. Smart deployment system design, highly automated yet flexible panel production and photovoltaic assembly laydown processes enable us to provide solar arrays -  fast and highly cost effective from single satellite missions to large satellite constellations.

SpaceTech solar arrays and solar array deployment mechanisms are flying in orbit on a multitude of institutional Earth Observation satellites as well as on commercial missions from e.g., York and OneWeb. With more than 163 solar arrays and more than 800 deployment mechanisms currently in orbit, we have acquired a veritable space heritage.

Beyond our growing business with commercial customers, the successful acquisition of the solar arrays for 4 out of 6 upcoming Copernicus Expansion satellites speaks for itself. Our solar arrays are not only cost effective, but can also fulfill even the most demanding requirements. To satisfy the increased demand in our products we are currently expanding our production capabilities in our new solar array factory, with production start in 2022.

Deployable solar array in STI clean room (credit: STI)

STI optical instruments – photonic quantum technology

LRI optical bench (credit: STI)

Starting around 2012 with the laser ranging interferometer (LRI) for GRACE Follow-On and several subsequent activities for national and ESA missions, STI has established itself as a competence center for laser-optical instruments for space.
Our team of laser specialists covers the optical, opto-mechanical and electronical expertise required to develop laser metrology instruments, optical frequency references and quantum technology systems like optical clocks for space.

With the LRI by far exceeding the nominal performance and lifetime, we are now developing the optical frequency reference unit for the French-German Lidar Mission MERLIN, a multi-species frequency reference for future LIDAR missions, the laser system for LISA and we have been selected to perform the pre-development of the Laser ranging interferometer for NGGM, ESAs “Next Generation Gravity Mission”. NGGM is intended to fly in constellation with GRACE-I, the successor of GRACE Follow-On and ICARUS, for which STI is again contributing to the laser ranging interferometer in cooperation with our US partners at JPL and with the Albert Einstein Institute Hannover. GRACE-I and NGGM are currently both in Phase A and are expected be confirmed for implementation in 2023. As part of the COMPASSO team we are contributing to the first European optical clock in space.

STI small system integrator – ISS & small satellites

In its third activity focus STI is realizing End-to-End space systems, be it on the ISS, such as ICARUS, in operation on the ISS since 2020, or small satellites. For this, STI has been preparing its team from begin on. After several mission studies and a small satellite kit delivered to Taiwan, STI is now capable to provide complete solutions for small satellite missions within a network of partners for all necessary platform units.

ICARUS antenna ground testing (credit: STI)

ICARUS antenna on ISS (credit: ESA/NASA/Astroserena)

New Ways 4 Space!

It is impossible to imagine life today without spaceflight. With high growth rates, the space sector is becoming more and more important economically compared to other industrial sectors. Space is ideally suited to contribute solutions to the pressing global issues of climate change, communication and security. Many countries around the world have recognized its importance as a factor for the future and are investing heavily. We are therefore pleased with the German government's clear position to further strengthen SME in the space sector in terms of technology, automation and their participation in missions such as GRACE-I, HRWS and the European secure connectivity initiative. Together, with our agencies and our commercial customers and with the expertise as well as enthusiasm of our team, we find new ways for space!

OneWeb launch #13

Thursday, February 10th, 2022

6.50pm (German time)

Watch the live stream of OneWeb launch #13 >