Spacebel

Established in 1988, SPACEBEL is a Belgian space systems and software engineering company that has grown into a trusted developer of advanced IT solutions and a provider of related IT services for the space market. The company partners with space agencies (ESA, CNES), major aerospace prime contractors, governmental bodies, EU institutions and the commercial market, and is active in Earth observation, space flight, defence, science, telecommunications, navigation, exploration, launchers, balloons and space situational awareness.

Spacebel's engineering skills cover the full lifecycle of IT space systems and geospatial information systems: design, development, integration and validation. Its Flight Segment department has developed on-board software since 1990 for satellite platforms, payloads, sub-systems, space probes and launchers, including the on-board software of all ESA PROBA satellites, the EUCLID Central Data Management Unit Application Software, the MetOp-SG Microwave Sounder Instrument Control Unit software, and the central flight software for the HERA and RAMSES planetary defence missions. Its generic Data Handling Software implements the ECSS Packet Utilisation Standard (PUS) and File Delivery Protocol and forms the basis of an on-board Application Framework reused across missions.

The Ground Segment department builds satellite control centres, mission planning systems and payload data ground segments (PDGS), notably for the ESA PROBA series and the Hera Cubesat Mission Operations Centre in Redu, Belgium. The Modelling & Simulation department, active since 1994, is one of Europe's leading simulation engineering teams with over 40 simulation engineers, developing satellite operational simulators, software validation facilities and on-board processor emulators, and co-developing the CNES BASILES and VTS simulation platforms along with the PrestoTools telemetry/telecommand analysis suite.

Spacebel's Data Intelligence division designs and operates space and geographic data management systems, including the ESA Earth Observation Catalogue (EO-CAT), the ESA Federated Earth Observation (FedEO) gateway also used by the German space agency DLR, the Copernicus Space Component Interoperability Layer, and the ESA Space Weather services portal. Its AI & Earth Observation Applications team, operating under the EORegions! brand, delivers AI-driven Earth observation products and services for forestry, agriculture, hazard management, and mining and raw materials. Spacebel today counts around 120 staff across offices in Belgium and France and has contributed to more than 50 space missions.