What NGC does

NGC Aerospace Ltd. is a privately held Canadian aerospace company, founded in 2001 by Jean de Lafontaine in Sherbrooke, Quebec, that designs and licenses Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) software for autonomous spacecraft, planetary exploration vehicles, and aerial systems. Its core technology is autonomy-enabling flight software developed in MATLAB/Simulink with automatic C-code generation, covering Attitude and Orbit Control Systems (AOCS), optical and crater-based absolute navigation, Lidar-based Hazard Detection and Avoidance (HDA) with motion compensation, vision-based rover navigation, and high-fidelity hardware-in-the-loop simulators. The company's proprietary Crater-Based Absolute Navigation (AbsNAV) system was flight-validated on Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander in March 2025, achieving 100 m position accuracy between 50–20 km altitudes without GPS-like infrastructure, and its AOCS software controls six ESA satellites including the December 2024 PROBA-3 precision formation-flying mission.\n\nNGC earns revenue primarily through one-time software licensing and custom development contracts with government space agencies (ESA, CSA) and prime aerospace manufacturers (Firefly Aerospace, Canadensys, Airbus Defence and Space, Laflamme Aero), operating as a Tier-2 subsystem supplier embedded within larger consortia. A secondary revenue stream comes from co-development and training services, where NGC helps organizations build in-house GNC capabilities. The customer base spans 20+ countries and six flight-proven ESA satellites (PROBA-1, PROBA-2, PROBA-V, PROBA-3, Sentinel-3A/B, plus ALTIUS in development), with named customers including the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) under the Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program, and ground-based reference deployments on the Laflamme Aero LX300 helicopter and Artemis Jr lunar rover prototype. Pricing is contract-negotiated and not publicly disclosed; the company operates with no external funding rounds recorded and has grown organically to approximately 20 highly qualified professionals as of 2021.

Name

NGC

Legal name

NGC Aerospace Ltd.

Website

https://ngcaerospace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NGC Aerospace Ltd. is a Canadian GNC software supplier that designs and licenses autonomous flight software for satellites, planetary landers, rovers, and UAVs, primarily serving ESA, the Canadian Space Agency, and aerospace primes such as Firefly Aerospace, Canadensys, Airbus, and Laflamme Aero.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) Software

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) for Space Systems (IMABACAG), Avionics Software, Certification & Safety-Critical Systems (DO-178/DO-254) (IMABAFAK), VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms (IMABAIAC)

Keywords

• Guidance navigation control software
• Spacecraft GNC systems
• Satellite attitude control
• Planetary lander navigation
• Autonomous aerial navigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Sherbrooke

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom GNC Software Development & Licensing: NGC designs, develops, and licenses proprietary onboard GNC flight software to satellite manufacturers and space agencies. The company has sold software licenses worldwide for its satellite software technology. Revenue derives from contracts for the design and validation of AOCS software embedded in spacecraft.
2. Technology Co-development and Training Services: NGC helps organisations build or augment their autonomy-enabling GNC software capabilities by sharing know-how and technology. This service line provides in-depth training and ongoing technical support, representing a professional services revenue stream.
3. Autopilot and Aerial Systems Software: Development and deployment of autopilot systems for UAVs and eVTOL aircraft, Detect-and-Avoid systems, and Landing Zone Assessment systems. Sold as integrated software solutions or through partnerships with aircraft manufacturers (e.g., Laflamme Aero LX300).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NGC Aerospace develops and licenses Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) software for satellites, planetary exploration vehicles, and unmanned aerial systems. Its product portfolio spans Attitude and Orbit Control System (AOCS) software, GNC for planetary landers, vision-based absolute and terrain-relative navigation (AbsNAV, HDA, Optical Navigation, Rover Navigation), an Autopilot System for UAVs, Detect and Avoid capability, Landing Zone Assessment tools, and GNC simulators. The company sells primarily to space agencies (ESA, CSA) and aerospace prime contractors as custom development, licensed software, and co-developed technology.

Product overview

NGC Aerospace provides Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) software systems and embedded software for space, aeronautical, and terrestrial autonomous applications. The product portfolio centers on AOCS software for satellite attitude and orbit control, and extends to planetary landing systems including HDA, optical navigation, and rover navigation. For aerial systems, NGC offers autopilot, Detect and Avoid (DAA), and Landing Zone Assessment (LZA) systems. The portfolio is supported by high-fidelity simulators for both satellite and aerial systems, test and validation environments including dynamic landing test facilities and drone platforms, and co-development/training services. Key technologies include the Crater-Based Absolute Navigation (AbsNAV) system for lunar GPS-like positioning and the Hazard Detection and Avoidance system for autonomous planetary landing. The company has provided AOCS software for ESA's PROBA series (PROBA-1, PROBA-2, PROBA-V, PROBA-3), Sentinel-3, and ALTIUS missions, and its navigation systems were demonstrated on Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander in 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AOCS Software Attitude and Orbit Control System software used by satellite operators and integrators to maintain spacecraft pointing, attitude determination, and orbit control. The product is targeted at satellite prime contractors and space agencies needing flight-proven on-board autonomy for their missions.
• GNC Software for Planetary Landers Guidance, Navigation and Control software package designed for planetary landers performing autonomous descent and touchdown on extraterrestrial bodies. It is intended for space agencies and aerospace primes building exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies.
• Crater-Based Absolute Navigation (AbsNAV) Vision-based absolute navigation technique that uses crater landmarks to localize planetary landers during descent, enabling accurate terrain-relative positioning prior to touchdown. The capability is used by space agencies and aerospace primes operating exploration landers.
• Hazard Detection and Avoidance (HDA) On-board software that identifies hazardous terrain features during descent and re-plans the trajectory to avoid unsafe landing zones. The product supports planetary lander missions and is sold to space agencies and aerospace primes.
• Optical Navigation Optical navigation software that processes on-board imagery to determine spacecraft position and velocity relative to planetary bodies or other celestial features. The capability is intended for space agencies and aerospace integrators running deep-space and planetary missions.
• Rover Navigation Autonomous navigation software for planetary rovers, supporting path planning, localization, and traversability assessment on rough extraterrestrial terrain. The product is targeted at space agencies and exploration mission teams building rover platforms.
• Autopilot System Flight control and autopilot software for unmanned aerial vehicles that provides guidance, navigation, and control functions for autonomous flight. The product is sold to UAV integrators and operators requiring proven autonomous flight control.
• Detect and Avoid Detect and Avoid software module that enables unmanned aerial systems to identify intruding traffic and execute collision avoidance maneuvers, supporting beyond visual line-of-sight operations. The product is targeted at UAV operators, prime contractors, and regulators needing certified DAA solutions.
• Landing Zone Assessment Software that analyzes imagery and terrain data to identify and rank safe landing zones for both unmanned aerial vehicles and planetary landers. The product is sold to aerospace primes and UAV operators needing automated landing site selection.
• GNC Simulators Simulation environments and verification tools that allow engineers to model spacecraft and aerial vehicle dynamics, test GNC algorithms, and train operators prior to mission deployment. The product is intended for space agencies, aerospace primes, and UAV developers.
• Custom GNC Software Development and Training Services Bespoke engineering services covering custom GNC software development, technology co-development with research centers, and paid training programs for spacecraft operators and integrators. The offering is targeted at space agencies, aerospace primes, and research institutions needing specialized GNC expertise and capability transfer.

Quantifiable outcome

• Position accuracy of 100 m or better during lunar descent from altitudes of 50 km to 20 km using ~25 detected craters per image
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and significant.

• European Space Agency (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2024NGC has been a software subcontractor to ESA since 2001, contributing AOCS/GNC software to the PROBA series (PROBA-1, PROBA-2, PROBA-V, PROBA-3), Sentinel-3, ALTIUS, and PILOT programmes. PROBA-3 (launched December 2024) is the sixth ESA satellite for NGC. The collaboration was enabled by the Canada-ESA Cooperation Agreement.
• Canadian Space Agency (CSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2024CSA provides financial support to NGC through the Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP). CSA funding enabled NGC's crater-based navigation demonstration on Firefly's Blue Ghost mission and NGC's participation in Canada's Lunar Rover programme. CSA announced $3M investment in lunar exploration technology initiatives in May 2021 that benefited NGC.
• Canadensys AerospacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2022NGC partnered with Canadensys Aerospace as part of the team selected by the Government of Canada to design and build Canada's first lunar rover. NGC provides rover navigation and obstacle detection software for the 30-kg rover planned for launch in 2026 to the Moon's South Pole region. NGC also joined Canadensys for the initial development of the Canadian Lunar Utility Rover (LUV).
• Firefly AerospacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2021NGC and Firefly Aerospace partnered for Firefly's first lunar landing mission (Blue Ghost). NGC's crater-based navigation system was integrated as a demonstration payload on Blue Ghost Mission 1 under NASA's CLPS initiative. The system was successfully tested after the March 2025 Moon landing, with NGC's approach compared against Firefly's own vision navigation system.
• MDA Space MissionssignificantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010MDA Space Missions partnered with NGC on the ALFIE (Autonomous Landing Flight Experiment) project in 2010–2011, the first ever real-time full-scale demonstration of a Lidar-based Hazard Detection and Avoidance system for autonomous planetary landing, sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency.
• Verhaert Space / Redwire SpacecoreTechnology or IntegrationNGC partnered with Verhaert Space (now Redwire Space) as subcontractor for the PROBA series AOCS software development — PROBA-1, PROBA-2, and PROBA-V. QinetiQ Space (also now Redwire Space) was prime contractor for PROBA-V.
• Laflamme AerosignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGC collaborated closely with Laflamme Aero, successfully deploying its autopilot system in flight on the LX300 tandem rotor helicopter aircraft. The collaboration demonstrates NGC's extension of GNC software from space to aerial systems.
• Neptec Design GroupsignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGC partnered with Neptec Design Group to implement and deploy its Vision-Based Navigation system for rovers onboard the Artemis Jr Moon exploration prototype rover. NGC and Neptec jointly supported NASA's RESOLVE experiment field deployment campaign in 2012.
• Airbus Defence and SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGC plays a critical role in Airbus-led PILOT programme (ESA) by providing the HDA software subsystem. The PILOT system enables global access to the lunar surface with visual navigation and autonomous HDA functions, with a demonstration targeted for 2025.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• OHB System: OHB is a European aerospace prime that develops satellites and space systems, including GNC capabilities in-house. NGC often participates as a Tier-2 supplier on OHB-led or partner-led programs.
• Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace: Kongsberg is a Norwegian aerospace and defense company with GNC capabilities for satellites, missiles, and aerial systems, comparable in cross-domain breadth to NGC's portfolio.
• MDA Space: MDA is a major Canadian aerospace prime that partnered with NGC on the ALFIE autonomous planetary landing experiment. It is both a potential collaborator and a competitor with significantly greater scale and in-house GNC capabilities.
• Airbus Defence and Space: Airbus leads the PILOT programme where NGC supplies HDA software, but Airbus also develops internal GNC capabilities across its satellite portfolio, making it both a customer and a potential competitor.

Direct peers

• Deimos Space (Elecnor Deimos): Deimos Space provides GNC systems, mission analysis, and attitude control software for ESA satellite programs. It is a comparable European mid-sized space GNC specialist competing for similar contracts.
• SENER Aeroespacial: SENER provides GNC, AOCS, and attitude control subsystems for ESA and European space programs. It is a direct competitor in the European space GNC software market.
• Jena-Optronik: Jena-Optronik develops attitude control sensors and GNC subsystems for satellites, with deep ESA heritage. It is comparable in scale and product scope to NGC's AOCS business.
• GMV Aerospace and Defence: Spain-based GMV is one of Europe's leading independent GNC and flight software suppliers for satellites and space exploration vehicles. It competes directly with NGC for ESA contracts and operates in the same GNC software niche.

Emerging players

• ispace: ispace is a Japanese lunar lander company developing its own GNC and hazard detection capabilities for commercial lunar missions. It is an emerging competitor in the lunar landing GNC space where NGC's AbsNAV and HDA compete.
• Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems (Terran Orbital): Terran Orbital (parent of Tyvak) develops small satellite platforms with integrated GNC capabilities. While more focused on satellite buses than software, it represents an emerging competitor in the small-sat GNC market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ngcaerospace
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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ngc-aerospace-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NGC