Spacetech
SpaceTech GmbH is a German supplier of satellite subsystems — solar arrays, optical instruments, mechanisms, and space-grade electronics — serving ESA scientific missions and commercial constellation operators including Airbus Defence & Space, Thales Alenia Space, and OneWeb Satellites.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersImmenstaad, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Spacetech does
SpaceTech GmbH is a German space technology supplier headquartered in Immenstaad, founded in 2004 as a privately held GmbH, that designs, manufactures, and integrates satellite subsystems and components for institutional and commercial space missions. The company's portfolio spans four product groups: solar arrays (body-mounted, single-hinge, and multi-hinge deployable wings, plus Solar Array Drive Assemblies), optical instruments (laser ranging interferometers, ultra-stable lasers, frequency reference units, optical clocks), instrument mechanisms (calibration subsystems, RIME antenna booms, refocus mechanisms), and electronics and sensors (laser electronics, Remote Terminal Units, actuator drive units, Coarse Earth and Sun Sensors). It serves satellite prime contractors (Airbus Defence & Space, Thales Alenia Space, OHB, OneWeb Satellites, York Space Systems) and space agencies (ESA, DLR, CNES, TÜBİTAK UZAY, LAPAN, NSPO) across missions including Copernicus/Sentinel, Galileo, LISA, JUICE, GRACE-FO, MERLIN, and NGGM. Across its 21-year history, SpaceTech has accumulated flight heritage on more than 700 satellites with over 1,800 devices in orbit.
The company's underlying technology base centers on photonics and optomechanics (laser interferometry achieving 80 nm/√Hz ranging accuracy on GRACE-FO, molecular-iodine optical clocks for Galileo, 1064 nm ultra-stable lasers for LISA), a proprietary multi-hinge solar array deployment mechanism using standardized C-spring hinges, and an automated in-house photovoltaic assembly process. A Solar Array Factory commissioned in 2022 provides capacity of up to six solar arrays per week and one SADA per day, supported by clean-room facilities for optical instrument assembly. The wholly-owned subsidiary CarboSpaceTech supplies CFRP structural components used in the deployment mechanisms, providing vertical integration on key materials.
SpaceTech operates as a B2B hardware vendor with project-based revenue: custom flight hardware is sold under multi-year contracts with milestone payments, supplemented by serial-production orders from commercial constellation operators. Sales are conducted exclusively through direct technical and commercial engagement; the company does not use distributors or resellers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, reflecting the custom nature of space-qualified hardware. Marketing is centered on the company website (with downloadable datasheets and product brochures), participation in space industry events, and a LinkedIn company page. Management is led by Managing Director Wolfgang Pitz, and the company appears to be founder/management-owned with no disclosed external funding rounds or parent holding company.
Spacetech firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Spacetech
- Legal name
- SpaceTech GmbH
- Website
- https://spacetech-i.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- SpaceTech GmbH is a German supplier of satellite subsystems — solar arrays, optical instruments, mechanisms, and space-grade electronics — serving ESA scientific missions and commercial constellation operators including Airbus Defence & Space, Thales Alenia Space, and OneWeb Satellites.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Spacetech industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Satellite Subsystems and Components
- NAICS
- Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control (IMABACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD), Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI)
Keywords
Where Spacetech is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Immenstaad
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Spacetech business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Satellite Subsystems and Components Sales: SpaceTech generates revenue through the design, development, manufacturing, and delivery of satellite subsystems and components including solar arrays, optical instruments, electronics, and mechanisms. Revenue is project-based with long sales cycles typical of space industry procurement. Custom development for institutional missions often involves multi-year contracts with milestone payments.
- Space Technology Products: Sale of flight-proven satellite components and subsystems to satellite manufacturers and integrators. Products include solar array systems, optical instruments, sensors, and electronic units delivered as flight hardware with associated qualification and testing services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Spacetech product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SpaceTech GmbH designs, develops, manufactures, and delivers flight-qualified satellite subsystems and components—including solar arrays (body-mounted and deployable), laser optical instruments, space-grade electronics and sensors, and instrument/deployment mechanisms—to satellite manufacturers, integrators, and space agencies. The company operates a Solar Array Factory with automated production capacity and supplies hardware for institutional scientific missions (ESA Copernicus, Galileo, LISA, JUICE) as well as commercial mega-constellations.
Product overview
SpaceTech (SpaceTech GmbH) is a German space technology company offering smart solutions for space missions. The company provides a portfolio of specialized space hardware products including solar arrays (body-mounted, single-hinge, and multi-hinge deployable arrays), optical instruments (laser ranging interferometers, frequency reference units, optical clocks), instrument mechanisms (calibration subsystems, antennas), and electronics & sensors (laser electronics, digital data handling units, actuator drive units, coarse earth sun sensors). Products serve NewSpace mega-constellations as well as demanding institutional missions for ESA, DLR, and other space agencies. The company operates a Solar Array Factory with automated production capabilities manufacturing up to six solar arrays per week.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Solar Arrays Complete solar array solutions for space applications including body-mounted panels, single-hinge deployable arrays, and multi-hinge deployable solar array wings with deployment electronics and photovoltaic assemblies; supplied to satellite manufacturers and space agencies.
- Optical Instruments Laser optical instruments for Earth observation and science missions, including laser ranging interferometers, high-stability lasers, and frequency reference units for heterodyne interferometry and trace-gas measurements.
- Instrument Mechanisms Mechanisms for satellites including the Calibration Subsystem (CAS) for the Sentinel-5 UVNS instrument and ultra-fine refocus mechanisms for precision applications.
- RIME Antenna for JUICE Mission SpaceTech's contribution to ESA's JUICE mission: a 16-meter deployable radar antenna (with ultra-light CFRP booms) to investigate the geophysical structure of Jupiter's icy moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
- Laser Electronics Laser electronics for space and laboratory use with low noise, high speed, and high precision characteristics, including temperature control loops, laser current sources, and housekeeping acquisition.
- Digital and Data Handling Units (Remote Terminal Unit) cPCI-Serial-Space based Remote Terminal Unit designed to collect data from different avionic sensors and control avionic actuators, featuring dual-core LEON3 processor and scalable I/O modules.
- Actuator Drive Units High-reliability, compact, cold-redundant electronics to trigger actuators such as thermal knives or non-explosive actuators for deployment or separation functions in satellites.
- Coarse Earth Sun Sensor (CESS)
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to six solar arrays per week and one SADA per day manufacturing capacity
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Spacetech
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Spacetech technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Spacetech partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Menlo SystemscorePartners in the Galileo Iodine Clock development. Menlo Systems contributes the space-qualified frequency comb required for the optical clock system, enabling high-precision microwave clock signal generation for satellite navigation.
- Ferdinand-Braun-Institut (FBH)coreDelivers the micro-integrated laser module for the Galileo Iodine Clock. FBH's Berlin-based institute provides semiconductor laser technology essential for the clock's spectroscopy unit.
- Fraunhofer ILTcoreConsortium partner for LISA laser development and Next Generation Gravity Mission (NGGM) laser source development. Provides fiber amplifier technology and laser testing capabilities.
- National Physical Laboratory (NPL)coreUK's national measurement institute partner in NGGM High Stability Laser development. Contributes expertise in laser stabilization and frequency measurement for gravitational mission applications.
- Airbus Defence & SpacecoreInstrument prime contractor for MERLIN mission and consortium partner for LISA and NGGM developments. SpaceTech serves as subcontractor and technology partner for optical instrument development.
- DLR (German Aerospace Center)coreScientific support partner for Galileo Iodine Clock development and responsible for the MERLIN instrument. DLR provides verification of clock performance and iodine-based clock technology expertise.
- Thales Alenia SpacecorePrime contractor for PLATO spacecraft and partner in solar array delivery. SpaceTech supplies solar array panels in cooperation with Beyond Gravity for this ESA science mission.
- Beyond GravityminorCooperation partner with SpaceTech for PLATO mission solar arrays, alongside Thales Alenia Space and OHB as mission prime.
- OHB SEcoreMission prime for ESA PLATO spacecraft. SpaceTech involved in solar array development within the mission consortium.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Spacetech competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Beyond Gravity: Swiss-headquartered (formerly RUAG Space) supplier of space structures, mechanisms, and electronic subsystems for institutional and commercial satellites; directly competes with SpaceTech in solar arrays, deployment mechanisms, and avionics for the same ESA and prime integrator customer base.
- SENER Aeroespacial: Spanish space equipment manufacturer specializing in mechanisms, antennas, optical instruments, and pointing systems for ESA and commercial missions; closely comparable product portfolio (mechanisms and optical instruments) and similar tier-2 European position.
- HPS (High Performance Space Structure Systems): German subsidiary of Redwire specializing in high-performance deployable structures and solar array mechanisms for small satellites and constellations; competes head-to-head with SpaceTech's multi-hinge deployment mechanism offering for NewSpace customers.
- DHV Technology: Spanish manufacturer of solar arrays and power systems for small satellites and institutional missions; competes directly with SpaceTech in body-mounted and deployable solar arrays across European and international space programs.
- Comat: French space equipment manufacturer producing mechanisms, optical instruments, and electronics for institutional and commercial missions; competes with SpaceTech in European space mechanisms and optical/photonics subsystems.
Emerging players
- Tesat-Spacecom: German subsidiary of Airbus Defence & Space specializing in laser communication terminals and space-qualified optical/photonic equipment; adjacent peer with overlapping photonics engineering capabilities and shared European institutional customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Terran Orbital (SolAero): US-based small-satellite prime that owns SolAero, a leading space solar cell and array manufacturer; competes with SpaceTech in solar arrays for institutional and commercial customers, particularly US defense and NASA programs.
- OHB SE: European satellite prime contractor that procures SpaceTech subsystems but also operates in-house manufacturing for structures, mechanisms, and instruments; serves as both a customer and an indirect competitive benchmark for vertical integration.
- Rocket Lab (SolAero): Larger US/New Zealand launch and space systems prime that acquired SolAero; competes with SpaceTech in space-grade solar arrays and is increasingly a prime-systems integrator rather than a pure component supplier.
- Airbus Defence & Space: Europe's largest space prime and SpaceTech's largest customer; competes with SpaceTech in instruments and structures through in-house capabilities while simultaneously being the anchor buyer across Sentinel, OneWeb, and science missions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Spacetech social profiles
Digital presenceSpacetech financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Spacetech leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Spacetech subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Spacetech funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Spacetech M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Spacetech
What does Spacetech do?
SpaceTech GmbH designs, develops, manufactures, and delivers flight-qualified satellite subsystems and components—including solar arrays (body-mounted and deployable), laser optical instruments, space-grade electronics and sensors, and instrument/deployment mechanisms—to satellite manufacturers, integrators, and space agencies. The company operates a Solar Array Factory with automated production capacity and supplies hardware for institutional scientific missions (ESA Copernicus, Galileo, LISA, JUICE) as well as commercial mega-constellations.
Is Spacetech a public or private company?
Spacetech is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Spacetech founded?
Spacetech was founded in 2004. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Spacetech based?
Spacetech is headquartered in Immenstaad, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Spacetech make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Satellite Subsystems and Components Sales are the primary driver. The others are space Technology Products.
Who are Spacetech's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Beyond Gravity, SENER Aeroespacial, HPS (High Performance Space Structure Systems), DHV Technology and Comat. Tesat-Spacecom is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Terran Orbital (SolAero), OHB SE, Rocket Lab (SolAero) and Airbus Defence & Space.
Does Spacetech have an API?
No public API is recorded for Spacetech.
What industry is Spacetech in?
Spacetech's product category is Satellite Subsystems and Components. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAF, Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control, with a secondary code of IMABACAD, Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR). Its NAICS code is 336419 and its SIC code is 3760.