Space business support from SBIC Noordwijk

The team at SBIC Noordwijk is on hand to support your space business. The programme – or programmes – that you opt for depends on your current situation. Firstly, to join any programmes in our community, you need that all important space connection. Then, your first port of call we would suggest is the Ignition Programme if you still need to validate your business. This means, in short, that you will check if there is demand for your service or product. We can help you to:

• Dive into the space link;
• Investigate if your solution is feasible; and
• Understand whether it makes sense financially.

This is done through the exclusive access you will receive to experts in the space industry. These connections await you at SBIC! The programme manager is Jacobo Domingo and if you have any questions, book a meeting as soon as possible via here.

At the forefront of this course is the product–market fit, go-to-market strategies and understanding of the needs of potential customers, as well as:

• Startup Mindset: Learn all the ins and outs of building a startup with an open mind in order to learn faster;
• Understand Your Value: Define a problem to tackle, see how others attempt to solve it, identify your unique value;
• Business Validation: Identify a market for your product, learn all the do’s and don’ts, define a revenue model.

Inspiration from previous pre-incubation cohorts

The pre-incubation course is supported by the European Space Agency and endorsed by the Netherlands Space Agency. In 2026, we are back to hosting not one but two Ignition Programme editions in the same year – one prior to the spring and the fall ESA BIC selection deadlines to help you prepare a successful application for incubation at ESA BIC Noordwijk.* The last time we had two editions in one year was in 2022, when Spherical Systems was one of the teams that graduated and then went straight on with all the knowledge that was learned to submit a successful application to ESA BIC that led to incubation by Sep 2022. Read about this particular success story here!

There have been many teams that took the successful path of pre-incubation as a step towards incubation – such as Ecosmic, Marmoris, Revolv Space and Soilspect. There is also the success story of one of the graduates of the spring 2026 edition – Earthexplorer – who is now a fully-fledged ESA BIC incubatee since the start of this month, with other graduates of that cohort preparing to apply by the fall ESA BIC deadline.

The course will refocus your mindset and bring your (potential) customers to the forefront:

• “The Ignition Programme helped us mature our idea into a promising business plan. It offered us validation and proof that we can have the desired impact” – Parya Pasha Zadeh, Marmoris
• “The most useful part of the Ignition Programme is the market validation workshop. When you’re very early stage, you’re still potentially assessing if you have a market and what your customers will really need” – Gaia Roncalli, Ecosmic
• “With so many years working as a business developer, one could think that formulating a startup is easy; it’s not. The Ignition Programme forced me to go out of my daily bubble and dive into the client’s user pains.” – Corné van der Sande, Earthexplorer

Encouragement from some recent Ignition graduates

For some of the spring Ignition graduates who still have ESA BIC in their sights and have already joined as SBIC community members, there was also positive feedback about the course:

• “The Ignition Programme is great, withe energetic mentors and a lot of support and motivation to keep iterating on the idea. It is a chance to focus and really dive into your startup.” – Bruno Endres Forlin, Tuentes
• “For anyone who wants to step into building the next era of space technology, SBIC is the place to be. I have never seen such clarity for building the next era of space tech from here in the Netherlands.” – Mohammad Umar, CaptioCorp

The culmination of the programme on the final day is a pitch competition where the teams can present all they have learned to an audience – and jury – and this is a true highlight of the course. That and, of course, the pizza night that marks the official end of the programme. The winners of the spring 2026 edition of the Ignition Programme was won by Tuentes (discover more here). Will it be your team that wins the next edition? You have to be in it to win it, so apply by 6 August!

GOOD TO KNOW:
1. The programme will be in English.
2. There is no application fee.
3. This is the last edition of the ESA-supported programme during 2026
4. The Friday training sessions will all be at SBIC Noordwijk

Before you apply, make sure to read all the terms and conditions (PDF) that you’ll need to agree to before participating.

*The pre-incubation course is not a requirement for applicants to ESA BIC Noordwijk; however, it is highly recommended.

The post Prepare to succeed by joining the pre-incubation Ignition Programme as a stepping stone to ESA BIC Noordwijk appeared first on Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk.

Read the full press release via the Revolv Space website

First mission to geostationary orbit

The new agreement will see Revolv Space providing solar array drive assembly (SADA) units for several geostationary in-orbit servicers manufactured by Infinite Orbits. The contract marks Revolv Space’s first mission to geostationary orbit (GEO) and its entry into the in-orbit servicing market, a huge move beyond the low Earth orbit (LEO) CubeSat heritage where the company counts more than 20 units already launched in orbit across four missions and several units already delivered, waiting for integration and launch.

Under this contract, Revolv Space is currently providing three engineering models and four flight models of an advanced version of SARA, named SARA-Pro, suitable for microsatellites and designed to withstand a more challenging radiation environment. This initial contract is anticipated to enable future collaborations between both companies in future missions.

New orbit, new class of mission: from LEO to GEO

Operating an inspection satellite in GEO (at roughly 36,000 km) is a different game from LEO. The platforms must withstand a far harsher radiation environment over a long design life. Proximity operation with GEO assets demand continuous, uninterrupted power generation, as a loss of power mid-manoeuvre introduces collision risks during the manoeuver.

This collaboration is Revolv Space’s next strategic move, answering the challenge of bringing proven credibility to the high-stakes GEO market. By supplying SADA units, Revolv Space enables Infinite Orbits to maximise orbit average power (OAP), providing critical, uninterrupted power generation capabilities required for autonomous manoeuvres.

Enabling power generation for autonomous manoeuvres

The SADA version being supplied under this contract, named SARA-Pro, is engineered to combine three features that rarely coexist: a compact microsat-class form factor, high power transfer capabilities needed to keep payloads running continuously, and radiation-tolerance capabilities to survive the GEO environment. SARA-Pro builds upon the already qualified version of SARA-Nano, currently being delivered to another commercial customer, and the lessons learned during its in-orbit demonstration of SARA, successfully concluded in early 2025. In addition, as part of the contract, Revolv Space will perform a full GEO qualification campaign, including vibration, thermal vacuum and electromagnetic compatibility tests.

“Going to GEO with Infinite Orbits is a turning point for Revolv Space – and truly exciting! It validates our ability to take what we have proven in LEO and apply it to one of the most demanding mission profiles,” comments Filippo Oggionni, co-founder and CCO of Revolv Space. “In-orbit servicing is where space infrastructure is heading, and we intend to be the power-subsystem partner satellite integrators like Infinite Orbits can rely on.”

View the full press release via the Revolv Space website

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Contact:

• Revolv Space – Filippo Oggionni (filippo@revolvspace.com)

About Revolv Space
Revolv Space empowers small satellites with “superpowers” by providing high-performance, cost-effective mechanisms and turnkey power systems. Specialising in agile, low-lead-time solutions, the company offers a vertical power generation product range, including solar array drive assemblies, deployment hinges and solar arrays. Revolv Space maximises power generation and payload availability for Earth observation, communications and scientific research. revolvspace.com

About Infinite Orbits
Founded in 2017, Infinite Orbits is a European provider of GEO in-orbit services including space-based SSA, inspection and life-extension. The company develops small GEO satellites tailored for in-orbit servicing missions and operates internationally from its headquarters in Toulouse, with affiliates in Singapore, the US, Spain, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. infiniteorbits.io

Open call for startups with space business ideas to apply to ESA BIC Noordwijk:

The post Revolv Space solar array drive assemblies selected by Infinite Orbits for GEO in-orbit servicers appeared first on Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk.

Read the full press release via the Revolv Space website

High-profile collaboration on EU-funded Mauve mission

The recent capture of its first star marks the beginning of a new era of astronomical data. It is the first time that a commercial space science satellite has successfully launched and sent back data to astronomers about our universe – and ESA BIC Noordwijk alumnus Revolv Space is part of it.

Mauve is a prestigious flagship 16U CubeSat astronomy mission, representing a significant achievement in European research. The mission is financed by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme and the satellite carries a UV–visible spectrometer designed to monitor stars’ activity and assess the habitability of exoplanets. The Mauve satellite was developed by Blue Skies and was built by C3S, with ISISpace providing the pointing solution. The platform is powered by Revolv Space’s solar array subsystem technology.

To ensure the quality of these sensitive observations, the mission required astronomy-grade stability, demanding a solar array system with very high mechanical rigidity, guaranteed by Holly, one of the mechanisms delivered by Revolv Space.

Revolv Space’s flight-proven hardware

For this critical mission, Revolv Space served as the design authority and the single point of contact for the power generation subsystem, acting as a subcontractor of C3S. This included activities like design and testing custom 16U single-deployable wings. These wings incorporated Revolv Space’s proprietary, Holly deployment hinge and the Pavel solar array, which are now officially flight-proven following their successful operation in orbit. Revolv Space was supported by a subcontractor for the PVA (photovoltaic assembly) manufacturing process.

A crucial technical accomplishment was successfully meeting the mission’s requirement for a very high natural frequency in deployed configuration. This was essential to maintain the satellite’s challenging stability requirement, thereby preventing structural vibration that could cause spectral data blurring during extended observations.

To meet the launch window on SpaceX’s Transporter-15, Revolv Space utilised its quick-to-orbit delivery model. This leverages a custom-designed flexible printed circuit (FPC) technology to avoid manual string wiring and reduce manufacturing times, alongside advanced welding for improved fatigue resistance.

“This collaboration with C3S has been a great success for Revolv Space. Supporting the Mauve mission allowed us to demonstrate our ability to design, engineer and validate high performance power generation subsystems and mechanisms in a record time for such a prestigious mission,” comments Filippo Oggionni, co-founder and CCO of Revolv Space.

The role of C3S

C3S, serving as the platform prime, undertook the integration of the wings into the 16U CubeSat. Following delivery, C3S performed a comprehensive validation campaign, verifying electrical integrity and mechanical deployment through rigorous environmental stress tests and system coupling. These inspections ensured a flawless integration between the solar wings and the satellite’s power and navigation subsystems prior to launch.

“This collaboration demonstrates the strength of European space partnerships and the importance of reliable, high-quality industrial cooperation in space missions. The joint effort supports a mission that will significantly contribute to the study of stellar activity and exoplanetary environments,” said Gyula Horváth, CEO of C3S.

View the full press release via the Revolv Space website

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Contact:

• Revolv Space – Filippo Oggionni (filippo@revolvspace.com)

Further technical exploration
Discover the underlying architecture and additional technical details by visiting the comprehensive deep-dive page (mauve.revolvspace.com).

About Revolv Space
Revolv Space empowers small satellites with “superpowers” by providing high-performance, cost-effective mechanisms and turnkey power systems. Specialising in agile, low-lead-time solutions, the company offers a vertical power generation product range, including solar array drive assemblies, deployment hinges and solar arrays. Revolv Space maximises power generation and payload availability for Earth observation, communications and scientific research. revolvspace.com

About C3S
C3S is a space industry company developing and manufacturing highly reliable 3U, 6U, 12U and 16U CubeSat platforms, as well as power distribution subsystems for large satellites. The company supports smallaat customers from mission planning through operations, covering the full mission lifecycle. C3S builds on experience from more than 40 agency and commercial space projects and has accumulated over 100 satellite-months of on-orbit operations experience. c3s.hu

Open call for startups with space business ideas to apply to ESA BIC Noordwijk:

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