Space Mechanisms and Solar Array Systems

SENER Aeroespacial is Spain’s leading space engineering and mechanisms company, providing precision mechanical and mechatronic products for ESA satellites, Ariane launch vehicle systems, and commercial spacecraft. The company is particularly renowned for its solar array drive mechanisms (SADMs), antenna pointing mechanisms (APMs), and hold-down and release mechanisms (HDRMs) that control critical deployable structures on satellites.

SENER’s SADMs enable solar panels to continuously track the sun over a satellite’s lifetime (15+ years in GEO, 5+ years in LEO) with high pointing precision and extremely low power consumption. Their APMs provide two-axis pointing for high-gain antennas on data relay satellites and communications satellites. The company’s deployable structure products use shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators and other non-explosive actuation technologies to replace pyrovalves — safer for integration and with no contamination risk.

SENER has contributed mechanisms to dozens of ESA missions including Solar Orbiter, JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer), Sentinel-1/2/3, and the Copernicus program. The company is headquartered in Bilbao (Tres Cantos facility near Madrid), Spain, and is part of the SENER Group (privately owned Spanish engineering conglomerate).