Vyoma awarded Two Space Launches by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR)
Munich, Germany.
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November 30, 2023 07:58 AM Eastern Standard Time
• Vyoma won two of DLR’s Small Satellite Competition, designed to strengthen the German space industry and promote innovative technologies.
• The awards will allow two Vyoma satellites carrying optical telescopes to be launched by German microlauncher companies in 2025-2026.
• Vyoma is developing a disruptive space object monitoring system and satellite operations automation services to guarantee the safety of space assets. The satellites are part of a 12-member constellation of this monitoring system.
Vyoma, a fast-growing space technology company based in Germany, has been distinguished in multiple categories of the small satellite competitions organized by the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). The prestigious awards were announced during the 2023 SmallSatellite Conference in Berlin on 23rd November 2023.
Vyoma received two awards, one from the Microlauncher Competition and one from the Small Satellite Competition. The competitions aimed at providing launch opportunities for small satellites, under 200 kg of mass (as the competitions’ limit), whose technology aligns with Germany’s and Europe’s space strategy. Dr. Anna Christmann, a member of the Bundestag and Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy, presented the awards.
These two awards will allow Vyoma to continue its mission to secure space assets by expanding its in-situ surveillance system with two additional telescopes that will monitor objects and space debris down to a few centimeters. By monitoring space traffic 24/7, Vyoma contributes thus to Europe’s autonomy in Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and geostrategic independence from current data sources outside of the European continent. Vyoma's commitment to developing a high-precision catalogue of space debris and enhancing existing catalogues across all orbital regions further cements Europe’s space sovereignty.
As part of the Microlauncher Competition award, a launch opportunity with RFA Onelaunch vehicle, from Rocket Factory Augsburg, has been secured. Other notable winners in this category include esteemed institutions such as the DLR Institute of Materials Physics in Space, DLR Institute of Lightweight Systems, Bremen University of Applied Sciences, Technical University of Munich – WARR e.V., Warsaw University of Technology (Poland), EnduroSat (Bulgaria), and the Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya (Spain).
The launch vehicle for the Small Satellite Competition will be announced soon. Overall, the outstanding multi-category awards underscored the strategic importance of advancing space debris monitoring technologies and presented Vyoma with a unique opportunity to launch at zero cost on two microlaunchers in 2025-2026.
Commenting on the award reception, Dr. Luisa Buinhas, co-founder and CPO of Vyoma says: “I sincerely appreciate this recognition we have received from the German government. The sole fact that Vyoma was the only company winning awards across multiple categories is a testament to the current significance of Space Domain Awareness and the importance of space intelligence to Europe’s sovereignty, for the safeguarding of the defense and civilian sectors.”
About Vyoma:
Vyoma is a Munich-based company that leverages ground-based and soon, space-based data to empower automated satellite operations. Officially founded in August 2020, Vyoma enables real-time space traffic management in congested orbits around Earth. While space is becoming increasingly crowded, Vyoma provides safe and automated satellite operations services, drastically reducing mission costs for its customers. The company’s operations services range from detection of close approaches between satellites and debris and optimization of maneuvers, all the way to full automation. Vyoma tenders to operators, reinsurers and space agencies. As a participant in the EU Commission and ESA programs for Space Domain Awareness (SDA) technology development, Vyoma relies on a specialized workforce of 25+ engineers and scientists.
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