Associated partners

The French-German company ArianeGroup develops and supplies innovative and competitive solutions for civil and military space launchers, with expertise in all aspects of state-of-the-art propulsion technologies. ArianeGroup is lead contractor for Europe’s Ariane 5 and Ariane 6 launcher families, responsible for both design and the entire production chain, up to and including marketing by its Arianespace subsidiary. As a truly “space enabler”, ArianeGroup guarantees European independent access to space. Together with  its subsidiaries, the company  enjoy a global reputation as specialists in the field of equipment and propulsion for space applications, while their expertise also benefits other industrial sectors. We are expert in the most innovative, competitive and cutting-edge technologies, from all aspects of complete propulsion systems right down to the items of equipment and materials. We leverage all of this expertise, the unique knowledge of our teams, into benefiting the space, defence, energy, and other industrial sectors, with high value-added products, equipment and services. The group is a joint venture equally owned by Airbus and Safran, and employs approximately 9,000 highly qualified staff in France and Germany.

A leading company in space propulsion, Avio originates from the historical BPD-Difesa e Spazio based in Colleferro, Italy. The expertise and know-how acquired in over 100 years currently allow Avio to compete with the top players in the segment of solid, liquid and cryogenic space propulsion. Avio plays a strategic role in the global space industry through Ariane 5, a programme involving the largest launcher vehicle in Europe. Since 2000 Avio is the prime contractor and system integrator of Vega, a lightweight launcher of satellites up to 1.500 kg. Currently Avio is deeply involved in the development of the next generation of European launch vehicles Ariane 6, Vega C and Vega E.

Founding member of the Federal University of Toulouse and global leader in higher education for aerospace engineering, ISAE-SUPAERO offers a unique range of training at the highest level: ISAE-SUPAERO engineer, CNAM-ISAE apprenticeship engineer, 1 Master of Science in "Aerospace Engineering" (in English), 5 research-oriented master degrees, 14 specialized master degrees and 6 doctoral programs. Research policy of ISAE-SUPAERO is focused on the future needs of the aerospace and high-tech industries, setting up more than ten teaching and research chairs with these companies. The ISAE-SUPAERO learning community consists of more than 100 full-time professors and researchers, 1,800 lecturers from the professional world and 1,700 undergraduate students. More than 30% of its 650 annual graduates are international students.

D-Orbit is a satellite systems company specialized in SmallSats manufacturing and operations, commissioning and decommissioning solutions for spacecrafts, launch vehicles, and next-generation satellites constellations. Founded in 2011, the firm is based in Milan (Italy) with headquarters in Fino Mornasco (Lake Como area, Italy) and subsidiaries in Washington, DC, and Lisbon, Portugal.

The Space Debris Office coordinates ESA's research activities on space debris, coordinates such activities with national research efforts, and provides operational support to ESA and third-party missions. The ESA Education Office has recently developed, in the framework of the ESA Academy, a Training and Learning Programme. The objective is, in order to better prepare university students from ESA Member States for a space-related career, to complement their academic formation by delivering, together with experts from ESA, European universities and space industry, training courses in all areas of ESA expertise.

ESCP Business School was founded in 1819. The School has chosen to teach responsible leadership, open to the world and based on European multiculturalism. Six campuses in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin and Warsaw are the stepping-stones that allow students to experience this European approach to management. Several generations of entrepreneurs and managers were thus trained in the firm belief that the business world can nurture society in a positive way. This conviction and ESCP’s values - excellence, singularity, creativity and plurality - guide our mission daily, and build its pedagogical vision. The Jean-Baptiste Say Institute for Entrepreneurship relies on a unique European network which was developed in 2007 by the Entrepreneurship Chair of ESCP Business School and has today more than 50 researchers and teachers. It is based on an innovative and experiential pedagogy, an incubation programme and a strong involvement in the local ecosystems. Its goal is to train entrepreneurs and leaders around the world in entrepreneurship and to prepare tomorrow’s managers for profound changes in the world of work. Part of our efforts in Berlin is the Blue Factory, the central contact point for all ESCP Business School students, alumni, and staff members interested in founding their own venture. In addition, we coordinate Berlin InnoBridge, an innovation programme in collaboration with FU Berlin and funded by the Berlin economic ecosystem.

OHB System AG is one of three companies recognised by ESA as large system integrator eligible to conduct space programmes for ESA without restrictions in technical and budgetary size.  Among OHB’s noteworthy projects is the GEO constellation Meteosat Third Generation (MTG), the planetary obsevatory placed in L2 of the Sun-Earth system (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillation of stars, PLATO), Europe’s Global Navigation Satellite System called Galileo and ExoMars 2016 as well as 2020. Hence, OHB spans the entire field of space missions and is a sought-after partner for the European Space Agency ESA and the German Aerospace Centre DLR as well as for customers in the private and public sector. Next to the classical space segment OHB experts plan and conduct spacecraft operations and design and implement dedicated ground segment architectures. Beeing an excellent system house that masters systems engineering as an integrative discipine, OHB has performed several system studies together with reknown partners on the space transportation systems. For instance, OHB has conducted together with MT-Aerospace the extremely well received system study on Europe’s New Launch Service (NLS).

Non-profit organisation, organization undertaking all possible activities concerning rockets – designing, building and launching model, high power and experimental rockets, educational and popularisation activities within the STEM and space-tech fields, cooperation with Polish Army, universities and institutes countrywide. We organise the only High Power Rocketeers meeting in Poland – “The Meteor Festival” and the only polish high power rocketry contests. We administer the biggest polish rocketry internet forum. We are also undertaking scientific research in cooperation with companies and are registered in the EMITS database.

RWTH is a research university located in Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With more than 42,000 students enrolled in 144 study programs, it is the largest technical university in Germany. The university maintains close links to industry (one in five board members of German corporate groups has studied in Aachen) and accounts for the highest amount of third-party funds of all German universities in both absolute and relative terms per faculty member. In 2007, RWTH was chosen by the DFG as one of nine German Universities of Excellence for its future concept RWTH 2020: Meeting Global Challenges and additionally won funding for one graduate school and three clusters of excellence. RWTH is a founding member of IDEA League, a strategic alliance of four leading universities of technology in Europe. The university is also a member of the Top Industrial Managers for Europe network. The research activities in the field of Space Propulsion are focusing on liquid propulsion, specifically on the cryogenic propellants liquid oxygen (LOX) and hydrogen as well as on liquid methane. Combustion chamber processes are investigated experimentally and numerically at conditions representative for rocket propulsion applications. Conditions of interest are supercritical pressure with respect to oxygen and methane to simulate the conditions during steady state operation of high-pressure rocket combustors. The experimental activities are performed at the test site of the Department of Rocket Propulsion at the DLR Institute of Space Propulsion

SpaceForest develops and commercializes innovative solutions specializing in microwave techniques, artificial intelligence, electronics and rocket technologies. A highly educated, experienced and ambitious team of employees is the most valuable asset of the company. The company provides a wide range of services in the scope of design and prototyping of microwave equipment, precision mechanics and electronics, as well as launching experiments on board of internally developed experimental rockets. Cooperation with ESA lead to developing low-noise high frequency generators, solid state power amplifiers and provision of internally developed testing environment for the on-board data collecting system of the ESA’s JUICE mission. SpaceForest implements internally developed technologies including Wireless Sensor Networks applied in aerospace systems or Filter Tuning Software (FTS) dedicated to postproduction tuning of microwave cavity filters.

Storyrunner is a Belgian media company with a strong focus on science and sustainability. We are partner in many European Horizon 2020 and MSCA research projects. Our speciality is making complex information accessible to the general public through animated videos (with young researchers). In addition, we also provide training sessions to help scientists with their communication skills.

Telematic Solutions S.r.l. is an Italian company, with headquarters in Milan, specialized in EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) projects, maintenance and exploitation services within the space sector, specifically in the ground segment and telemetry. The company is deeply involved in major European space programs and in many other projects in low current & security, fluids, physical lab, TT&C at the Guyana Space Centre (CSG) where the company is permanently present through Telematic Solutions Guyane. For fifteen years now, the main actors such as the European Space Agency (ESA), the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the Centre National des Etudes Spatiales (CNES) have continuously renewed their trust in Telematic Solutions by awarding contracts for ambitious space projects on a European scale, such as the operation and the  maintenance of VEGA fluid ground segment and the engineering, procurement, delivery and installation of telemetry stations for IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle) re-entry phase, the construction of Ariane 6 low current systems as well as water and air network, the construction of VEGA-C launch pad for low current and fluid network.Expertise and promptness of Telematic Solutions employees are the key elements for the development of the company, which proposes itself as the Italian reference in the space ground segment and telemetry domains.

WEPA is a German SME with general company activities in the field of automation, engineering, process technology and rocket technology. Core research and production activities in the field of rocket technology: 1. TPU using different propellants (LOX, H2O2; LCH4, kerosene, ethanoll). (Open gas generator power cycle. Staged combustion- and expander cycle under consideration.). 2. Metallic and ceramic thrust chambers (WEPA did receive license to commercially exploit DLR’s ceramic thrust chamber technology using transpiration cooling.) 3. Complete propulsion units comprised of TPU and thrust chambers. (Expendable and reusable systems.) 4. Booster and first stages used in sounding rockets or launch vehicle. In all fields development of technology demonstrator units up to TRL ~ 5. Further activities / commercialisation depending on customer’s interests.

The University of Strathclyde is a leading institution in the UK's space industry, with a wide range of activities related to space research, education, and commercialization. The university has several research groups dedicated to space-related topics, including satellite engineering, space mission design, and robotics for space exploration. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Aerospace Engineering, as well as a Masters in Space Science and Technology, covering topics such as space systems engineering, space physics, and satellite remote sensing. With its Advanced Forming Research Center it has developed a technique for manufacturing satellite parts more efficiently and cost-effectively, the university also has a strong focus on commercializing space-related technologies. Collaborations with other organizations in the space industry, including the ESA, NASA, and several UK-based space companies, as well as being a member of the Scottish Space Leadership Council make the University of Strathclyde is a key player in the UK's space sector, contributing to the development of new technologies and the education of future space professionals.