With its European headquarters in Luxembourg, the company has inked a commercial product development contract funded by the Government of Luxembourg through LuxIMPULSE, the Luxembourg National Space Program.
Managed by the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA) in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), this national program aims to support companies based in Luxembourg as they bring innovative ideas to the market.
NorthStar Earth & Space will receive crucial funding from the LuxIMPULSE program to create cutting-edge tools and applications for space traffic mapping, close approach warning, and global space hazard risk assessment – essential for fleet management, future mission planning, and insurance considerations.
The objective behind is to expedite the development of innovative solutions of SSA, addressing the pressing need for improved observation and precise navigation tools. The latter are vital to safeguard assets in an increasingly congested space environment. It is true that the proliferation of space debris and threats to space assets pose serious risks to spaceflight, the space economy, and essential services such as communication, navigation, and defense.
“Space sustainability is one of the pillars of our space strategy and NorthStar is a leader in this key domain. This partnership will create quality jobs in Luxembourg and is an excellent example of how Luxembourg is committed to promoting and investing in the sustainable commercialization of space activities” – Marc Serres, CEO (Luxembourg Space Agency)
NorthStar’s high-fidelity space-based SSA services aim to counter these threats by providing extensive coverage across all orbits, with unprecedented speed and accuracy. This encompasses Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO), and Cis-Lunar. This technology will enable operators to safely manage and preserve their assets.
Luxembourg’s dynamic space ecosystem, along with its collaborative environment, offers the ideal platform for developing groundbreaking technology. Meanwhile, NorthStar Earth & Space is already collaborating closely with Luxembourg-based companies SES and Spire Global. It also plans to work with other members of the Luxembourg space community to solidify the country’s position as a leader in space security and sustainability.
Besides, the company’s Founder & CEO Stewart Bain expressed his gratitude for this strategic support, emphasizing that “Luxembourg has taken a visionary and proactive approach by making space sustainability a key element in its space strategy”.
