What TU Darmstadt Space Technology e.V. does

TU Darmstadt Space Technology e.V. (TUDSaT) is a German registered nonprofit student association (eingetragener Verein, founded 23 August 2016, headquartered at Karolinenplatz 5, 64289 Darmstadt) with over 230 members, predominantly STEM students from TU Darmstadt studying aerospace, mechanical, electrical, computer science, physics, and mathematics. The organization operates three flagship project pillars: TRACE, a 2U CubeSat for satellite identification and space-debris mitigation scheduled for launch in early 2027; RAPID, a rocketry team that has flown the FRoDO solid-motor series (2022-2024, with FRoDO-M taking 3rd place overall out of 26 teams at EuRoC 2024) and is developing the Zephyr hybrid rocket for EuRoC 2026; and CASIMAR, a BVSR-coordinated rover project for ESA's LUNA Analog Facility in Cologne.

The underlying technology stack spans an open-source, CCSDS- and ECSS-compliant CubeSat platform; a custom Stigma flight computer with Kalman-filter state estimation and LoRa downlink; a redundant SpaceCAN onboard bus co-developed with LibreCube at ESOC; the TEPF onboard software framework aligned with ESA's SAVOIR/OSRA reference architecture; a Yamcs-based ECSS PUS mission control system; and supporting infrastructure including the BALRoG liquid engine test bench, Parabrakes recovery technology, fiber-reinforced concrete nozzle inserts, and a VR/AR rover prototyping environment. Industrial sponsors include Serco (prime sponsor of TRACE), Siemens, Zeiss, and others; institutional funders include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection via the DLR Small Satellite Initiative and the ESA Education Fly Your Satellite! programme.

TUDSaT is not a commercial enterprise and has no disclosed revenue. Its economics operate on a project-grant and sponsorship model: each project pillar carries its own sponsor and grant stack (e.g., BMWi/DLR funding for TRACE), supplemented by undisclosed membership dues administered through easyVerein and in-kind support from TU Darmstadt (server hosting at the HRZ CYSEC data center, institute partnerships with FSR, GSI, GLR, LSM, and PTW). Its customer segments are its student members and the European student space community served via the BVSR federation, the Space @ TU Darmstadt colloquium series, and the BVSR Conference 2026 hosted in Darmstadt.

Name

TU Darmstadt Space Technology e.V.

Legal name

TU Darmstadt Space Technology e.V.

Website

https://tudsat.space

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

TU Darmstadt Space Technology e.V. (TUDSaT) is a German nonprofit student association of 230+ TU Darmstadt STEM members building a 2U CubeSat (TRACE), experimental sounding rockets including a hybrid motor (RAPID), and a collaborative lunar rover (CASIMAR) for ESA's LUNA facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student-led space technology research and education

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Launch Vehicles & Orbital Rockets (IMABACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI), Ground Segment Systems (Ground Stations, TT&C, Mission Ops) (IMABACAJ), Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD), Spacecraft Integration, Assembly & Test (IAT) (IMABACAK), Reentry, Descent & Landing Systems (Capsules, Heat Shields, Parachutes) (IMABACAL)

Keywords

• Student space association
• CubeSat development
• Student rocketry
• Hybrid propulsion research
• Open-source satellite platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Darmstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: TUDSaT is a registered association (e.V.) that collects membership dues from its members. Members can join via an online application form managed through easyVerein. No specific pricing is publicly disclosed for membership fees.
2. Sponsorship and institutional funding: The organization receives financial and technical support from sponsors and institutional partners including Serco (Prime Sponsor for TRACE), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection / DLR Small Satellite Initiative, and various industrial partners (Siemens, Zeiss, BMWi, ESATAN, Ansys, astos, Altium, etc.).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

TUDSaT is a student-led space technology association operating three project pillars: TRACE, a 2U CubeSat for space debris identification planned for launch in early 2027; RAPID, a rocketry program developing solid-propellant FRoDO rockets and the Zephyr hybrid motor for EuRoC 2026; and CASIMAR, a BVSR collaborative lunar rover for ESA's LUNA facility. The organization delivers hands-on aerospace education, builds and tests flight hardware, hosts the Space @ TU Darmstadt colloquium series, and organizes the BVSR Conference 2026, supported by sponsorships, grants, and membership dues.

Product overview

TU Darmstadt Space Technology e.V. (TUDSaT) is a student rocketry and space technology association operating three main project pillars: TRACE (2U CubeSat for space debris tracking and satellite identification, launch planned 2027), RAPID (rocketry team developing sounding rockets including the FRoDO series and Zephyr hybrid rocket for EuRoC 2026), and CASIMAR (BVSR collaborative lunar rover project for ESA's LUNA facility). Supporting infrastructure includes BALRoG ground test bench for liquid engine development, Parabrakes recovery technology, and open-source software frameworks including TEPF for OBDH, SpaceCAN for onboard communications, and Yamcs-based mission control. The organization also hosts the Space @ TU Darmstadt colloquium series and BVSR Conference 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TRACE: TU Darmstadt Research Cubesat for Education - a 2U CubeSat project focused on space debris identification technologies, scheduled for launch in early 2027.
• RAPID
• CASIMAR

Products and services

• TRACE (TU Darmstadt Research Cubesat for Education) A 2U CubeSat mission for space debris identification using retroreflectors and retroreflective foils, with secondary payloads including a gamma radiation module and charged particle measurement experiment. Targeted at the student-led space research community and ESA institutional partners.
• RAPID (Rocketry and Propulsion in Darmstadt) Student rocketry program developing experimental sounding rockets, transitioning from solid-propellant motors to in-house hybrid propulsion. Delivers competition-grade rocketry for the EuRoC competition circuit.
• CASIMAR (Collaborative Astronaut Supporting Interregional Moon Analog Rover) A BVSR-coordinated collaborative rover project designed for deployment at ESA's LUNA Analog Facility in Cologne, incorporating human-robot interaction, EVA equipment, and regolith in-situ resource utilization experiments. Built for the German student space community working with ESA.
• BVSR Conference 2026 A major international student space conference organized by TUDSaT in Darmstadt, covering technical sessions, project showcases, and networking for German student space groups affiliated with BVSR. Open to participating students and external guests.
• Space @ TU Darmstadt Colloquium A recurring evening lecture series (3-5 sessions per semester) covering current space research topics, with speakers from ESA, EUMETSAT, GSI, industry, and academia. Open to TU Darmstadt members and external guests interested in space research.
• Zephyr Hybrid Rocket A self-developed hybrid rocket using nitrous oxide oxidizer and paraffin-based fuel grain with novel recovery via Parabrakes, planned for the European Rocketry Challenge 2026 to a 3000m apogee. Targeted at the student rocketry competition community.
• FRoDO Rocket Series (FRoDO-H/J/M) A family of solid-propellant sounding rockets (FRoDO-H, FRoDO-J, and FRoDO-M) featuring smart fins with integrated PCBs, strain gauges, LEDs, and on FRoDO-M a bidirectional cold gas thruster for apogee control. Competed at EuRoC competitions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3rd place overall (out of 26 teams) at EuRoC 2024 with FRoDO-M achieving 2993.7m apogee — one of the most precise EuRoC apogees in competition history
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Serco EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSerco Europe serves as the Prime Sponsor of the TRACE CubeSat project, providing financial and technical support particularly in the area of the ground segment. TRACE project page explicitly acknowledges Serco's role as prime sponsor.
• German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWi) / DLR Small Satellite InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRACE is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection as part of DLR's 'Small Satellite Initiative'. This institutional funding supports the CubeSat development, launch, and operations.
• ESA Education Office (Fly Your Satellite! Test Opportunities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe acceptance and qualification test campaign for TRACE is conducted with support from the Education Office of the European Space Agency under the Fly Your Satellite! Test Opportunities programme.
• Institute of Flight Systems and Automatic Control (FSR) at TU DarmstadtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRACE is implemented in close cooperation with the Institute of Flight Systems and Automatic Control (FSR) at TU Darmstadt, which provides academic guidance and facilities for the CubeSat project.
• GSI Helmholtzzentrum für SchwerionenforschungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRACE is implemented in close cooperation with GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt. GSI is also a supporter of the Space @ TU Darmstadt colloquium series and hosts Prof. Marco Durante as a speaker.
• LibreCube (ESOC)coreTechnology or IntegrationTUDSaT co-developed the SpaceCAN (a redundant, fail-safe CAN bus for spacecraft) with LibreCube, a team at ESOC developing an open-source CubeSat platform. TUDSaT also cooperates with LibreCube on PCDU circuit development.
• StudOps Team (TU Berlin Student Satellite Operation Team)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudOps Team at TU Berlin supports TRACE Operations with knowledge transfer related to satellite operations, including experience with BEESAT satellites. StudOps focuses on attitude control, GNSS, imaging experiments, and long-term experiment continuation.
• CubeSpacecoreTechnology or IntegrationTRACE uses CubeSpace's CubeADCS Gen 2 system (CubeADCS Core, 3-axis magnetorquers CR0002/CR0003, 3-axis reaction wheels CW0017, CubeMag magnetometers, CubeSense sun sensors, IMU) for attitude determination and control.
• Skyfox LabscoreTechnology or IntegrationTRACE uses Skyfox Labs' piNAV-NG CubeSat GPS Receiver and nanoPATCH-L1 Active GPS-L1 Patch Antenna for its Orbit Determination System (ODS).
• TU DarmstadtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTU Darmstadt is the host institution for TUDSaT, providing facilities, server housing (via HRZ), academic support, and a logo displayed on the organization's sponsors page. TU Darmstadt also hosts the Space @ TU Darmstadt colloquium series.
• BVSR (Bundesverband studentischer Raumfahrt)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBVSR is the German national student space association that unites student groups across Germany. TUDSaT is a member and hosts the BVSR Conference 2026. TUDSaT's CASIMAR project is a BVSR initiative, and BVSR services (Wiki, Cloud, Chat, SSO) are shared infrastructure.
• Hochschulrechenzentrum (HRZ) at TU DarmstadtcoreTechnology or IntegrationHRZ serves as the hosting provider for TUDSaT's servers (tudsat-cluster) located at the CYSEC data center. HRZ employees have access to the co-shared rackspace and operate a transponder lock system (SimonsVoss) for the data center.
• AirESIEAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirESIEA from Paris provided a CanSat payload that was carried on FRoDO-M at EuRoC 2024. Listed as an academic partner on TUDSaT's sponsors page.
• SPROG (Spaceflight and Rocketry Giessen)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPROG from Giessen is listed as an academic partner on TUDSaT's sponsors page, suggesting collaborative relations in the regional student rocketry community.
• DGLR (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luft- und Raumfahrt)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGLR (German Society for Aeronautics and Spaceflight) is listed as an academic partner on TUDSaT's sponsors page.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Isar Aerospace: Munich-based commercial small launch vehicle developer. Not a direct peer, but TUDSaT hybrid propulsion alumni and Darmstadt ecosystem place it on the relevant career-pipeline and propulsion-talent funnel for the broader European launch industry.
• Bundesverband studentischer Raumfahrt (BVSR): German national umbrella for student space groups. TUDSaT is a BVSR member and hosts the BVSR Conference 2026; BVSR provides shared infrastructure (Wiki, Cloud, SSO) and convenes CASIMAR as a multi-group initiative.

Direct peers

• EPFL Spacecraft Team: Swiss student team developing CubeSats (e.g., CHESS, ASTREA) with ECSS-aligned processes and strong ESA engagement. Comparable European student spacecraft builder with similar open-source and standards-compliance orientation.
• Stanford Student Space Initiative (SSI): US student organization operating rocketry, CubeSat, and policy projects. Comparable in scope (multi-project, industry-sponsored, university-affiliated) though at larger scale and with different geographic/regulatory environment.
• LibreCube: Open-source CubeSat platform initiative at ESA's ESOC in Darmstadt. Co-developer of SpaceCAN with TUDSaT and direct collaborator on PCDU circuits; operates in the same open-source CubeSat niche with ECSS-aligned designs.
• StudOps Team (TU Berlin): TU Berlin student satellite operations team supporting TRACE OPS via knowledge transfer from BEESAT missions. Direct German student-space peer focused on satellite operations, attitude control, and GNSS imaging.
• WARR (Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Raketentechnik und Raumfahrt): Student space team at TU Munich operating across rocketry, CubeSats (e.g., MOVE-II), and hybrid propulsion. Direct German student-space peer competing in EuRoC and BVSR, with comparable institutional sponsorship model.

Regional players

• SPROG (Spaceflight and Rocketry Giessen): Regional German student rocketry group near TU Darmstadt. Listed as an academic partner; comparable sounding rocket activities in the same geography with overlapping membership in BVSR and EuRoC competition circuits.
• AirESIEA: Paris-based student space group that provided CanSat payloads carried on FRoDO-M at EuRoC 2024. Comparable European student rocketry peer operating across borders with similar competition-oriented model.

Others

• CubeSpace: Commercial supplier of the CubeADCS Gen 2 attitude control system used on TUDSaT's TRACE mission. Enabling vendor rather than competitor, but the comparable institutional supplier of ADCS subsystems for small-sat programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tudsat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/tu-darmstadt-space-technology-e-v
• Instagraminstagram.com/tudsat_ev/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about TU Darmstadt Space Technology e.V.