SSC Space has signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space to provide extended ground station support for the Pléiades Neo mission and the new Pléiades Neo Next mission.

SSC Space will serve as the prime ground segment provider for these two very-high-resolution Airbus Earth observation programs, using SSC Space ground stations at Esrange Space Center in Sweden, Inuvik Satellite Station Facility in Canada, and Punta Arenas Station in Chile.

Pléiades Neo provides native 30 cm optical resolution, while Pléiades Neo Next is designed to add 20 cm-class native resolution and higher revisit. This fleet of satellites strengthens Airbus’ Earth observation capabilities and reinforces its leading position in geospatial technologies.

The agreement includes SSC Space delivery of routine on-orbit telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) and data reception services for both missions while in orbit, as well as support to the launch and early orbit operations (LEOP) phase for Pléiades Neo Next, planned for 2028. It also includes optimization of the ground segment to support enhanced latency requirements, for faster data delivery to Airbus customers.

“We are excited to expand our collaboration with Airbus on the next generation of its geospatial capabilities, including Pléiades Neo and Pléiades Neo Next. We will support advanced operations and enable low-latency data delivery – meeting the growing demand for faster access to Earth observation data across both defense and commercial markets,” says Stefan Pessirilo, Business Development Director at SSC Space.

“This collaboration highlights Airbus’ ability to work with solid European partners to continuously enhance its services, remain at the forefront of Earth observation capabilities and serve its customers at best. Our continued work with SSC Space demonstrates our excellent collaboration and the performance of our joint activities,“ says Eric Even, Head of Space Digital at Airbus Defence and Space.

Media contact: Philip Ohlsson, Press & PR, +46 70 721 70 26, philip.ohlsson@sscspace.com

The contract builds on momentum of long-term, multi-launch partnership delivering orbital launch capabilities from mainland Europe.

SSC Space and Firefly Aerospace (Nasdaq: FLY), a market-leading space and defense technology company, today announced a multi-launch agreement for two Alpha rocket launches from Sweden’s Esrange Space Center, owned and operated by SSC Space. Targeted to launch in 2028, the missions will serve Sweden national security customers as well as additional commercial rideshare customers, marking a significant step forward in delivering orbital launch capabilities from mainland Europe.

“This contract validates the demand from European customers for long-awaited orbital launch capabilities directly from mainland Europe,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “These first two missions are just the start of a long-term, multi-launch partnership with SSC Space that will provide assured access to space for years to come with our proven Alpha rocket. As part of our ‘launch as a franchise’ model, this partnership serves the critical needs of SSC Space’s government and commercial customers and provides our nation and NATO allies with the launch site diversification required for resilient, responsive space missions.”

Under the multi-launch agreement, SSC Space secured the full payload capacity and can allocate payload space to its government and commercial customers, providing flexible accommodation and launch opportunities for the European satellite market.

The agreement builds on the momentum of Firefly and SSC Space’s partnership after recently establishing the required transatlantic regulatory frameworks and completing key infrastructure to launch Firefly’s Alpha rocket from Launch Complex 3C at Esrange Space Center. The latest infrastructure includes completion of the launch control center, payload processing facility, launch vehicle integration building, tracking and control systems, and security and storage facilities, as the two companies now progress through final pad construction.

“This agreement underscores the strategic value of the transatlantic space capabilities we are building together with Firefly,” said Charlotta Sund, President and CEO of SSC Space. “Adding an orbital launch capability to mainland Europe strengthens the continent’s capabilities and competitiveness in the commercial space arena, while contributing to greater resilience and strategic autonomy within the defense domain. As demand grows, we look forward to expanding this relationship with Firefly to serve our end customers over the long term and advance our shared space capabilities.”

Read more in the most recent news Meeting Next Critical Milestone for Orbital Launch.

Multimedia: https://sscspace.canto.global/b/K3FM3

Media Contacts:
SSC Space: Philip Ohlsson, Press & PR, +46 70 721 70 26, philip.ohlsson@sscspace.com
Firefly Aerospace: press@fireflyspace.com

From helping scientists unlock insights from some of the world’s largest space datasets to supporting innovation and business development, Joaquim Oliveira thrives where technology, data, and space exploration meet. Based in Madrid, he has nearly two decades of experience in the space industry and is driven by a constant curiosity to learn, improve systems, and contribute to a more sustainable and better world.

Originally from Portugal, Joaquim joined SSC Space in 2019 to work on the ExoMars Science Operations Centre at ESA’s European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Madrid. Before that, he spent more than a decade working across a wide range of space domains, including near-Earth objects, space debris, flight systems, ground systems and data processing.

Today, he works as a Software and Database Engineer at the ESAC Science Data Centre, supporting missions such as Euclid and Gaia. His role involves optimizing large-scale archive systems, improving database performance and ensuring the safekeeping of enormous volumes of scientific data, including more than 200 terabytes of catalogues and metadata and over two petabytes of science data. He also serves as Software Configuration Manager, helping manage extensive CI/CD infrastructure and DevOps processes for a large team working across dozens of science archives, databases, servers and software repositories.

Alongside his customer-facing work, Joaquim contributes to our innovation and proposal activities, supporting business growth by helping design data-centric and cloud-ready architectures and operational concepts.

When Joaquim was finishing his bachelor’s degree, he knew he wanted to contribute to a better world, although he wasn’t yet sure how. A year studying abroad in Madrid introduced him to the space industry and changed the course of his career. Nearly 20 years later, he is still as passionate about the sector as ever.

What continues to inspire him is the constant evolution of technology, systems and data. While he now works with large-scale data environments and complex archive systems, he remains motivated by making that complexity invisible to scientists, allowing them to focus on discoveries rather than infrastructure.

For Joaquim, some of the most rewarding moments come from seeing the broader impact of the work we do at SSC Space. “I feel most proud when our work clearly supports society,” he says. “Whether it’s enabling Earth observation, climate monitoring or secure satellite communications, knowing that our services contribute to science, safety and sustainability gives real meaning to what we do.”

When asked what message he would send to his future self, Joaquim’s answer reflects the mindset that has guided his career so far: “Keep learning, questioning assumptions and growing. Space doesn’t stand still, and neither should you.”