Inside Italian defence tech (2026)
Jul 17
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Sint-Stevens-Woluwe, Belgium
Noordwijk, NetherlandsHouston, United StatesSint-Stevens-Woluwe, BelgiumNoordwijk, NetherlandsHouston, United States
Products & Solutions
YAMCS
YAMCS (Yet Another Mission Control System) is an open-source mission control framework for managing spacecraft, payloads and ground equipment. It handles telemetry processing, commanding and data archiving, and its plugin-based architecture allows it to be adapted for operational missions, assembly and integration testing, and training. Space Applications Services also offers commercial support, hosting and custom development around the framework.
ICE Cubes Service
The International Commercial Experiment Service provides end-to-end access to the International Space Station for research and technology payloads. Customers can fly experiment cubes that connect to power and data infrastructure permanently installed on the ISS, covering domains from microgravity biology and pharmaceutical research to in-orbit manufacturing and technology demonstration. Space Applications Services became a CASIS implementation partner in 2019.
HOTDOCK
HOTDOCK is an androgynous mating and demating interface designed for robotic systems in space. It transfers mechanical loads, electrical power, data and optionally thermal loads through a single coupling, enabling on-orbit assembly, payload swapping and module replacement. The device tolerates significant positional misalignment and is available in active (motorized) and passive configurations. It was recognised as a European standard in 2020.
LUVMI Lunar Rover
The LUVMI family (LUVMI, LUVMI-X and LUVMI-M) are lunar rovers developed for surface exploration and in-situ resource utilisation studies. The vehicles are designed to operate autonomously on the lunar surface, supporting scientific sampling and prospecting missions. The LUVMI-M variant has completed rover campaign testing at ESA's LUNA analogue facility.
MOGOS
The Mobile Gravity Off-Loading System is ground-based hardware that offloads the weight of robotic or astronaut equipment to simulate low-gravity environments during training and testing. It provides a constant and adjustable offloading force, enabling realistic preparation for planetary surface operations.
StarEdge
StarEdge is a payload control and data management system for spacecraft. It handles onboard data processing and management for science and commercial payloads, providing the interface between hosted payloads and the spacecraft bus.
Videos
Discover The Near Future & Build It With Us
Rugged Ethernet Gateway by Space Applications Services
About
Space Applications Services NV/SA is an independent Belgian company founded in 1987, headquartered near Brussels in Sint-Stevens-Woluwe. With a research office in Noordwijk, Netherlands and a North American subsidiary in Houston, Texas, the company delivers engineering systems and services for manned and unmanned spaceflight, planetary exploration and defence. Roughly a quarter of its staff hold doctorates, drawn from leading European and American engineering universities.
Offices
Sint-Stevens-Woluwe, BelgiumNoordwijk, NetherlandsHouston, United StatesCustomers & Partners
European Space Agency (ESA)Starlab Space (commercial space station consortium)CASIS — Center for the Advancement of Science in SpaceCYSEC (secure space data links)
Timeline
2025
Joined Starlab commercial space station consortium as strategic partner and equity investor, announced at the 76th International Astronautical Congress.
2020
HOTDOCK mating interface recognised as a European standard for on-orbit robotic systems.
2019
ICE Cubes became a CASIS implementation partner at the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space.
2018
Launched ICE Cubes Service, providing commercial experiment access to the International Space Station.
2004
Opened North American subsidiary, Aerospace Applications North America Inc., in Houston, Texas.
1987
Founded in Belgium as an independent company focused on human spaceflight engineering for ESA.
Open Positions (5)
Products & Solutions
YAMCS
YAMCS (Yet Another Mission Control System) is an open-source mission control framework for managing spacecraft, payloads and ground equipment. It handles telemetry processing, commanding and data archiving, and its plugin-based architecture allows it to be adapted for operational missions, assembly and integration testing, and training. Space Applications Services also offers commercial support, hosting and custom development around the framework.
ICE Cubes Service
The International Commercial Experiment Service provides end-to-end access to the International Space Station for research and technology payloads. Customers can fly experiment cubes that connect to power and data infrastructure permanently installed on the ISS, covering domains from microgravity biology and pharmaceutical research to in-orbit manufacturing and technology demonstration. Space Applications Services became a CASIS implementation partner in 2019.
HOTDOCK
HOTDOCK is an androgynous mating and demating interface designed for robotic systems in space. It transfers mechanical loads, electrical power, data and optionally thermal loads through a single coupling, enabling on-orbit assembly, payload swapping and module replacement. The device tolerates significant positional misalignment and is available in active (motorized) and passive configurations. It was recognised as a European standard in 2020.
LUVMI Lunar Rover
The LUVMI family (LUVMI, LUVMI-X and LUVMI-M) are lunar rovers developed for surface exploration and in-situ resource utilisation studies. The vehicles are designed to operate autonomously on the lunar surface, supporting scientific sampling and prospecting missions. The LUVMI-M variant has completed rover campaign testing at ESA's LUNA analogue facility.
MOGOS
The Mobile Gravity Off-Loading System is ground-based hardware that offloads the weight of robotic or astronaut equipment to simulate low-gravity environments during training and testing. It provides a constant and adjustable offloading force, enabling realistic preparation for planetary surface operations.
StarEdge
StarEdge is a payload control and data management system for spacecraft. It handles onboard data processing and management for science and commercial payloads, providing the interface between hosted payloads and the spacecraft bus.
Videos
Discover The Near Future & Build It With Us
Rugged Ethernet Gateway by Space Applications Services
Open Positions (5)
About
Space Applications Services NV/SA is an independent Belgian company founded in 1987, headquartered near Brussels in Sint-Stevens-Woluwe. With a research office in Noordwijk, Netherlands and a North American subsidiary in Houston, Texas, the company delivers engineering systems and services for manned and unmanned spaceflight, planetary exploration and defence. Roughly a quarter of its staff hold doctorates, drawn from leading European and American engineering universities.
Offices
Sint-Stevens-Woluwe, BelgiumNoordwijk, NetherlandsHouston, United StatesCustomers & Partners
European Space Agency (ESA)Starlab Space (commercial space station consortium)CASIS — Center for the Advancement of Science in SpaceCYSEC (secure space data links)
Timeline
2025
Joined Starlab commercial space station consortium as strategic partner and equity investor, announced at the 76th International Astronautical Congress.
2020
HOTDOCK mating interface recognised as a European standard for on-orbit robotic systems.
2019
ICE Cubes became a CASIS implementation partner at the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space.
2018
Launched ICE Cubes Service, providing commercial experiment access to the International Space Station.
2004
Opened North American subsidiary, Aerospace Applications North America Inc., in Houston, Texas.
1987
Founded in Belgium as an independent company focused on human spaceflight engineering for ESA.
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