Walloon satellite manufacturer Aerospacelab on Thursday launched the construction of what should become Europe’s largest satellite factory in Charleroi.
Benoît Deper, founder and CEO, expects the new plant to boost its turnover to hundreds of millions or even a billion euros, up from tens of millions at present. Its current customers are mainly in Europe and North America.
The plant will employ around 500 people and will be able to produce up to 500 satellites a year, each weighing between 150 kilograms and 1 tonne. Production is expected to start in 2026. The current 2000 m² satellite factory has a production capacity of 50 satellites a year and is operational since Q3 2022.
Aerospacelab, which was established in 2018, aims to become one of the top three satellite manufacturers in the world. They deployed eight satellites successfully in orbit.
Aerospacelab launched a total of four satellites on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission on March 4, 2024; including three Radio Frequency Sensing (RFS) satellites and one VHR satellite. The RFS satellites flying in formation are scanning radio frequencies in the 0.1-18 Ghz frequencies while geolocating signal source. Satellite-based imagery and Radio Frequency Data collection and insights gained from the four satellites can provide valuable insights for commercial organizations, institutions and government organizations. Aerospacelab commissioned its recently launched satellites and is processing data from its’ deployed Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite. The Aerospacelab VHR satellite is designed to capture imagery of the Earth’s surface at the submeter-to-pixel scale and combines data from the visible spectrum.
Aerospacelab raised 40 million euros in a funding round led by Airbus Ventures and XAnge venture capital in 2022. Additional investors in the Belgian startup, which has raised 60 million euros before, include BNP Paribas Private Equity, Sambrinvest, and SRIW, the investment arm of Belgium’s Wallonia region.
More Information/picture source: Aerospacelab
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