Technical papers for SmallSat Europe 2026 will be presented in 15-minute oral sessions or as poster displays and will be published in the official conference proceedings.

The Aurora thruster operates continuously from 100 to 300 watts and can use either xenon or krypton gas.

Brad King, co-founder and CEO of Orbion, stated the delivery of flight hardware is viewed as a standard operational outcome.

Michael Lajczok, CTO of York Space Systems, emphasized the need for reliable partners in building and sustaining national security constellations.

The Aurora Hall-effect propulsion module includes the thruster, a power processing unit (PPU), a propellant management assembly, and all necessary electrical harnessing.

The Aurora propulsion systems enable small satellites to maintain precise orbits, perform collision avoidance maneuvers, and de-orbit at the end of their mission life.

York Space Systems is building dozens of satellites for the Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 Transport Layers to serve military communications and missile tracking.

York Space Systems is a primary contractor for the Space Development Agency (SDA) and its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).

The Aurora system is designed with a 'ZeroTorque' configuration to eliminate magnetic moments that could interfere with other spacecraft sensors.

The software-controlled flexibility of the Aurora system enables satellites to maintain fuel efficiency during routine station-keeping while having additional power for avoiding threats.

Orbion manufactures its electric propulsion systems through a vertically integrated process at its facility in Michigan.

Orbion Space Technology delivered 33 Aurora Hall-effect propulsion modules to York Space Systems on January 13, 2026.

The delivery of propulsion modules signifies a move toward high-volume, standardized production for critical satellite components.

The Aurora system has a dry mass of approximately 8.3 kilograms and can produce an exit velocity of up to 15,000 meters per second.

Propulsion units from previous manufacturing runs are operational on York satellites currently in orbit.

The Aurora system features dual-mode operational capability for increased thrust for agile collision avoidance.

The Aurora propulsion modules are designated for use on spacecraft within an upcoming military constellation.

The Aurora propulsion system can maneuver spacecraft weighing 70 kilograms or more.

The Aurora propulsion modules provide maneuvering and long-duration propulsion for spacecraft designed for national security missions.

Using electric propulsion instead of chemical alternatives allows satellite operators to reduce propellant mass and accommodate larger sensor payloads or extended mission durations.

Each acquisition by Voyager Technologies addressed a specific capability gap.

Voyager Technologies acquired Estes Energetics in November 2025 for $450 million.

The Estes Energetics acquisition represents Voyager Technologies' audacious bet on vertical integration as a supply chain resilience strategy.

Voyager Technologies completed four strategic acquisitions in 2025: LEOcloud, Electromagnetic Systems, ExoTerra Resource, and Estes Energetics.

Pentagon priorities shifted to emphasize surge capacity over lowest-bid efficiency following the Ukraine conflict.

Voyager Technologies, Axiom Space, and Firefly Aerospace received a message from the Pentagon regarding supply chain resilience.

Voyager Technologies now owns the only remaining black powder manufacturer in the United States.

ispace is progressing with commercial registration procedures for the final establishment in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce.

ispace will sign a memorandum of understanding with King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in 2025 to develop capabilities for future lunar exploration opportunities.

ispace Saudi Arabia aims to contribute to workforce development and infrastructure building in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia promotes contributions to international lunar exploration through the Saudi Space Commission.

ispace has received an investment registration certificate from the Saudi Ministry of Investment (MISA).

ispace Saudi Arabia will be the fourth global base for ispace, following Tokyo, Luxembourg, and Denver.

ispace plans to collaborate with ispace EUROPE in the field of in-situ resource utilization.

The new base aims to strengthen partnerships with commercial, governmental, and research institutions in Saudi Arabia.

ispace will focus on collaboration with industries and academic institutions, prioritizing in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) efforts.

ispace CEO Takashi Hakamada stated that the new base is a realization based on the shared recognition that international cooperation is essential for the robust growth of Saudi Arabia's space sector and for extending humanity's living space into space.

All partnerships aim to create opportunities for cooperation in lunar exploration technologies and mission development, along with workforce and technological capacity building.

ispace Saudi Arabia will leverage experiences from previous lunar missions for lunar exploration mission development.

ispace has signed a memorandum of understanding with a leading scientific and technological institution in Saudi Arabia for the development of lunar-related technologies.

ispace has begun the establishment process for a new subsidiary called ispace Saudi Arabia in Saudi Arabia on January 12.

Diffraqtion aims to have its first tranche of quantum camera-enabled satellites in orbit by 2030.

Diffraqtion is collaborating with the U.S. Space Force’s Apollo Accelerator and the Space Systems Command TAP Lab to integrate its sensor data into military space defense architectures.

Further demonstrations of the quantum imaging system are scheduled for next month to validate its performance under atmospheric turbulence.

The current pre-seed round will allow Diffraqtion to expand its engineering team in Cambridge and prepare for initial orbital flight tests.

The $1.5 million DARPA contract funds 'on-sky' demonstrations using ground-based telescopes as a precursor to deploying quantum camera technology on a dedicated satellite constellation.

Johannes Galatsanos is the Co-Founder and CEO of Diffraqtion.

Diffraqtion’s technology is being evaluated for the Habitable Worlds Observatory, the planned successor to the James Webb Space Telescope.

Diffraqtion raised $4.2 million in combined pre-seed funding and a DARPA SBIR Phase 2 contract on January 13, 2026.

Diffraqtion’s quantum camera utilizes photon-counting sensors and proprietary AI algorithms to extract up to 95% more information from incoming light than standard CMOS or CCD sensors.