LusoSpace
LusoSpace is a Portuguese space technology company founded in 2002 that designs and manufactures space-qualified magnetometers, magnetorquers, laser communication terminals, and sun simulators for ESA and European prime contractors, and is deploying a 12-satellite AIS/VDES maritime communications constellation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersLisbon, Portugal
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What LusoSpace does
LusoSpace is a Portuguese space technology company founded in Lisbon in 2002 as the first space startup in Portugal, specializing in space-qualified subsystems, optical ground support equipment, optoelectronics, and augmented reality tools for the aerospace sector. Its core product line centers on attitude control hardware (DMAG digital and MAG15/MAG28 analogue magnetometers, MTQ140 and MTQ400 demisable magnetorquers) qualified to ECSS and MIL standards for LEO missions, the SUSI sun simulator for large-aperture instrument calibration, and the Pulsed Laser Terminal (PLT) developed for Thales Alenia Space's Optel-μ optical communication system. The company also provides engineering services including Optical Ground Support Equipment (OGSE) for missions such as GAIA and Sentinel-3/5, optoelectronics including a high-power laser head for the ESA LISA mission, and AR/XR solutions for aerospace AIT procedures using AI-based image recognition.
The business operates on a direct B2B enterprise sales model targeting ESA programs, European space prime contractors (Thales Alenia Space, Magellan Aerospace, Jena-Optronik, RUAG), and satellite operators. Revenue streams combine space hardware sales (qualified magnetometers, magnetorquers, laser terminals, sun simulators) and professional services (custom OGSE development, optoelectronics, AR solutions). LusoSpace is executing a strategic shift into constellation operations via the 12-satellite LUSÍADA AIS/VDES maritime communications constellation, with PoSat-2 launched in early 2025 and full deployment targeted for mid-2026 in partnership with AAC Clyde Space and SpaceX. The company maintains two clean rooms, ISO 9001:2015 certification, and operates engineering sites in Lisbon (headquarters) and Porto. Two spin-offs (LusoVU in 2013 for AR consumer products; LusoMusic) and a prior minority investment in TurfLynx (later acquired by TORO) demonstrate a pattern of internal venture creation alongside the core space business.
LusoSpace firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LusoSpace
- Legal name
- Lusospace
- Website
- https://lusospace.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- LusoSpace is a Portuguese space technology company founded in 2002 that designs and manufactures space-qualified magnetometers, magnetorquers, laser communication terminals, and sun simulators for ESA and European prime contractors, and is deploying a 12-satellite AIS/VDES maritime communications constellation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LusoSpace industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Space Technology Subsystems
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Satellite Telecommunications (51741)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI), Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD), Satellite Network Operations & Capacity Services (NOC, Capacity Leasing, Managed Payload Services) (HDAIAJAI)
Keywords
Where LusoSpace is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lisbon
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
LusoSpace business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Space Hardware Products: Sale of space-qualified hardware including magnetometers, magnetorquers, Pulsed Laser Terminals, and Sun Simulators. Products are qualified to ECSS (ESA) standards and MIL standards for space applications.
- OGSE Development: Custom Optical Ground Support Equipment development for satellite instrument testing and calibration, including AIT and C&C systems.
- AR/VR/XR Solutions: Augmented reality solutions for aerospace industry AIT activities, including procedure following and authoring systems, developed in collaboration with ESA.
- Satellite Constellation Development: Development of AIS/VDES satellite constellation including PoSat-2 and subsequent satellites for maritime communications.
- Optoelectronics Systems: Laser systems for space missions including development of high-power laser heads for LISA mission and photonic component assessment for space usage.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
LusoSpace product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LusoSpace designs, develops, and manufactures space-qualified hardware subsystems for spacecraft — including magnetometers, demisable magnetorquers, a Pulsed Laser Terminal for optical communications, and the SUSI Sun Simulator — alongside engineering services such as OGSE for satellite instrument calibration, optoelectronics/laser systems, AR/XR AIT solutions, and a 12-satellite AIS/VDES maritime communications constellation. Customers are ESA, European space prime contractors, and satellite operators requiring ECSS-qualified subsystems.
Product overview
LusoSpace is a Portuguese space technology company founded in 2002 that develops and manufactures spacecraft subsystems, instruments, and provides engineering services for the space sector. The product portfolio includes magnetometers (DMAG Digital Magnetometer, MAG28, and MAG15 Analogue Magnetometers) for attitude reference in LEO missions, demisable magnetorquers (MTQ400 and MTQ140) for satellite attitude control, the Pulsed Laser Terminal (PLT) for optical communications developed for Thales Alenia Space's Optel-μ system, and the SUSI Sun Simulator for satellite calibration. Services include OGSE development for space instrument testing, optoelectronics including laser systems for missions like LISA, augmented reality solutions for aerospace AIT with AI-powered image recognition, and AIS/VDES satellite constellation development including the PoSat-2 satellite launched in 2025. The company operates from Lisbon and Porto, Portugal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LusoVU: Sister company dedicated to the development of Augmented Reality products including solutions for the consumer market. Created in 2013.
Products and services
- DMAG Digital Magnetometer Digital magnetometer providing 3-axis digital magnetic field readings for satellite attitude reference in LEO missions where a digital interface is required. Housed in a compact enclosure with +28V or +5V power interface, qualified to TRL 8 per ECSS (ESA) standards. Targets satellite prime contractors and ESA programs.
- MAG28 Analogue Magnetometer Analogue magnetometer providing 3-axis analogue readings of the surrounding magnetic field for attitude reference in LEO missions, with +28V supply in a compact enclosure. Fully qualified to ECSS (ESA) and MIL standards. Targets ESA and space prime contractors.
- MAG15 Analogue Magnetometer Analogue magnetometer providing 3-axis analogue magnetic field readings for attitude reference in LEO missions with ±15V supply in a compact enclosure. Fully qualified to ECSS (ESA) and MIL standards. Targets ESA and space prime contractors.
- MTQ140 Demisable Magnetorquer Magnetorquer for attitude and control of small-size satellites, including detumbling, stabilization, and reaction wheels unloading. Passive magnetic system using Earth's magnetic field, currently at TRL 8, ITAR and EAR free, with a demisable-by-design form factor that safely survives re-entry. Targets small-satellite integrators and ESA programs.
- MTQ400 Demisable Magnetorquer Magnetorquer for attitude and control of medium/large-size satellites, including detumbling, stabilization, and reaction wheels unloading. Demisable-by-design passive magnetic system, developed to TRL 6, ITAR and EAR free. Targets medium/large-satellite integrators and ESA programs.
- SUSI Sun Simulator Optical Ground Support Equipment (OGSE) for calibration and characterization of satellite instruments, including Sentinel-5. Uses a Xenon continuous light source, homogenizer, and Offner telescope, covering 270-2385nm at 80 mW/cm² with the highest level of spatial uniformity for large aperture sun simulators. Targets ESA Earth observation programs and instrument primes.
- Pulsed Laser Terminal (PLT) High-speed laser transmitter developed for Thales Alenia Space's Optel-µ optical communication system, with reduced volume and energy consumption for microsatellites. Qualified for space applications at TRL 8 per ECSS (ESA). Targets microsatellite integrators and European prime contractors.
- OGSE Engineering Services Custom design, manufacturing, assembly, and testing of Optical Ground Support Equipment units for space instruments, including AIT OGSE for alignment/verification tests and C&C OGSE for on-ground calibration campaigns. Heritage on GAIA, Sentinel 3, and Sentinel 5. Targets ESA and European space prime contractors.
- Optoelectronics Systems Development of systems for measuring and controlling laser stability in frequency and output power, including the high-power laser head for the ESA LISA mission with frequency stability down to the hertz. Also assesses photonic components for space usage with environmental and performance tests. Targets ESA scientific missions and space laser programs.
- Augmented Reality (AR/XR) Solutions AR/VR/XR solutions for Industry 4.0 and aerospace, including AIT procedure following and authoring systems that reduce execution time by approximately 25%, with AI-based image recognition for quality assurance. Supports concurrent engineering activities with ESA. Targets aerospace companies and ESA programs.
- Optical Communications Systems Optical communication systems development including laser heads for space-to-ground links (developed with Thales Alenia Space) and a low-profile optical head prototype for commercial aircraft to enable satellite internet connectivity. Targets satellite operators, ESA, and aviation connectivity providers.
- AIS/VDES Satellite Constellation (LUSíADA) 12-satellite VDES (VHF Data Exchange System) constellation for maritime communications. PoSat-2, launched in early 2025, carries a VHF radio capable of encoding/decoding AIS and VDES messages with an extendible VHF antenna. Full constellation deployment expected by mid-2026. Targets maritime safety authorities, vessel operators, and service providers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 25% reduction in AIT procedure execution time when using AR tools
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use LusoSpace
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
LusoSpace technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature7 records
LusoSpace partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- ESA (European Space Agency)coreLong-standing partnership with ESA for development of space-qualified systems including magnetometers for ESA missions, OGSE for Sentinel satellites (GAIA, Sentinel 3, Sentinel 5), and AR solutions for aerospace AIT activities. ESA has been a key customer and development partner since the company's founding.
- Thales Alenia SpacecoreDevelopment of Pulsed Laser Terminal (PLT) for Thales Alenia Space's Optel-μ optical communication system. LusoSpace developed the high-speed laser transmitter with reduced volume and energy consumption for microsatellite applications.
- Laser Zentrum HannovercoreCooperation partnership for development of high-power laser head for ESA LISA mission. LusoSpace served as prime contractor with Laser Zentrum Hannover as development partner for the extremely demanding laser system requiring frequency stability to the hertz level.
- IT (Instituto de Telecomunicações)majorPartnership for development of VHF antennas for the AIS/VDES satellite constellation. IT is developing antennas in partnership with LusoSpace for the 12-satellite maritime communications constellation.
- AAC Clyde SpacemajorCollaboration on LUSÍADA satellite constellation project for maritime monitoring. AAC Clyde Space is involved alongside LusoSpace and SpaceX in the 12-satellite constellation development including operational PoSat-2 satellite.
- SpaceXmajorLaunch services provider for LUSÍADA project satellite constellation. SpaceX provides launch services for the 12-satellite VDES constellation, with PoSat-2 already launched in early 2025 and subsequent launches scheduled for February 2026.
- GoparityminorGoparity is supporting the LUSÍADA project through a crowdfunding campaign to raise €500,000 for the satellite constellation aimed at monitoring oceans to combat illegal fishing and pollution.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
LusoSpace competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AAC Clyde Space: Scotland-based smallsat subsystems and constellation operator; explicit partner on the LUSÍADA VDES constellation alongside LusoSpace and SpaceX. Closely comparable in scale, product breadth (ADCS, communications, structures), and target customers (ESA, primes, commercial constellation operators).
- GomSpace: Danish smallsat subsystems provider offering magnetorquers, magnetometers, and ADCS solutions, plus own constellation operations. Directly comparable to LusoSpace's ADCS product line and ESA-aligned customer base; serves similar LEO missions.
- Kongsberg NanoAvionics: Lithuanian-Origin smallsat bus and subsystems provider (acquired by Kongsberg) offering ADCS components, communications, and complete satellite platforms targeting commercial constellation operators. Comparable in subsystem offering and customer overlap with LusoSpace.
- Hyperion Technologies: Dutch smallsat ADCS specialist producing magnetorquers and reaction wheels for LEO constellations. Closely comparable product line to LusoSpace's MTQ140/MTQ400 magnetorquers and similar customer profile of European primes and constellation operators.
- ISIS - Innovative Solutions In Space: Dutch smallsat components and launch services provider offering magnetorquers, ADCS boards, and complete CubeSat platforms. Comparable European smallsat subsystems competitor with overlapping ESA customer base.
- Sitael: Italian smallsat and subsystems manufacturer (part of Angel Group) producing magnetometers, magnetorquers, ADCS, and complete satellite platforms for ESA and commercial operators. Closely comparable scale, geography, and product mix to LusoSpace.
- ANYWAVES: French antenna and RF subsystems supplier for small satellites, spun out of CNES. Comparable as a small, ESA-aligned European smallsat component vendor with similar institutional customer profile and product specialization.
Broad incumbents
- Thales Alenia Space: Tier-one European space prime and explicit LusoSpace customer/partner (Pulsed Laser Terminal for Optel-µ). Larger incumbent operating across full satellite platforms, payloads, and subsystems; relevant as a buyer and benchmark for prime-grade subsystem specifications.
- RUAG Space: Swiss/European space components and structures supplier and explicit LusoSpace partner (Opto-Electronics & Instruments). Larger incumbent in adjacent subsystems categories; relevant as both a collaboration partner and a broader competitor.
- Jena-Optronik GmbH: German supplier of space-grade optical and LIDAR sensors and a customer/partner of LusoSpace. Comparable as a European specialist in space-qualified optical instruments, with broader product portfolio but overlapping missions (Sentinel).
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
LusoSpace social profiles
Digital presenceLusoSpace compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
LusoSpace financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LusoSpace leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
LusoSpace subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
LusoSpace funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LusoSpace 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 LusoSpace
What does LusoSpace do?
LusoSpace designs, develops, and manufactures space-qualified hardware subsystems for spacecraft — including magnetometers, demisable magnetorquers, a Pulsed Laser Terminal for optical communications, and the SUSI Sun Simulator — alongside engineering services such as OGSE for satellite instrument calibration, optoelectronics/laser systems, AR/XR AIT solutions, and a 12-satellite AIS/VDES maritime communications constellation. Customers are ESA, European space prime contractors, and satellite operators requiring ECSS-qualified subsystems.
Is LusoSpace a public or private company?
LusoSpace is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was LusoSpace founded?
LusoSpace was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is LusoSpace based?
LusoSpace is headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does LusoSpace make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Space Hardware Products are the primary driver. The others are OGSE Development, AR/VR/XR Solutions, satellite Constellation Development and optoelectronics Systems.
Who are LusoSpace's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AAC Clyde Space, GomSpace, Kongsberg NanoAvionics, Hyperion Technologies, ISIS - Innovative Solutions In Space, Sitael and ANYWAVES. Broad incumbents are Thales Alenia Space, RUAG Space and Jena-Optronik GmbH.
Does LusoSpace have an API?
No public API is recorded for LusoSpace.
What industry is LusoSpace in?
LusoSpace's product category is Space Technology Subsystems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAB, Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial), with a secondary code of IMABACAI, Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software. Its NAICS code is 336414 and its SIC code is 3760.