GOMSPACE AS

Their core work

GomSpace is a Danish nanosatellite manufacturer and mission provider specializing in small satellite platforms for low Earth orbit (LEO) applications. They design, build, and operate CubeSat and nanosatellite systems, providing both hardware platforms and integrated space solutions. In H2020 projects, they contribute satellite platform expertise for applications ranging from very low Earth orbit operations to LEO-based communication relay systems for aviation. Their work bridges satellite engineering with downstream services like air traffic management and space situational awareness.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

GomSpace's H2020 trajectory shows a clear shift from fundamental spacecraft engineering toward applied satellite services. Their early projects (2016-2019) focused on physical platform challenges — designing spacecraft for very low orbits, air-breathing electric propulsion, and end-of-life removal technologies. By 2021, their focus pivoted to what those satellites actually deliver: VHF communication relay for aviation and governance frameworks for space traffic management. This evolution mirrors the broader small-satellite industry's maturation from proving the technology to monetizing the services it enables.

GomSpace is moving from satellite hardware R&D toward operational LEO communication services, particularly for aviation and air traffic management — expect future work at the intersection of space infrastructure and transport safety.

How they like to work

GomSpace operates exclusively as a participant, never leading H2020 consortia — consistent with their role as a specialist technology provider contributing satellite platforms to larger missions defined by others. With 41 unique partners across just 4 projects, they work in medium-to-large consortia (averaging ~10 partners per project), suggesting they are comfortable in complex, multi-actor collaborations. Their partner diversity indicates a hub-like network rather than a tight circle of repeat collaborators.

GomSpace has built a broad European network of 41 unique partners spanning 13 countries across just 4 projects, indicating they consistently join diverse, multinational consortia rather than working with a narrow set of repeat partners. Their collaborations span space agencies, aviation authorities, research institutes, and aerospace companies.

What sets them apart

GomSpace brings operational nanosatellite manufacturing capability to EU consortia — they are not a research lab theorizing about small satellites, but a company that actually builds and ships them. This makes them a rare asset in H2020 projects: a commercial SME that can translate research objectives into flight-ready hardware. Their pivot toward LEO communication services for aviation positions them uniquely at the intersection of space and air transport, a niche few European SMEs occupy.

Highlights from their portfolio

• VLD2 - VOICE
  Their largest project by far (EUR 916K, nearly half their total H2020 funding), applying LEO satellites to revolutionize VHF aviation communications — a direct path to commercial services.
• DISCOVERER
  A 5-year flagship project on disruptive very low Earth orbit platforms, addressing fundamental challenges like air-breathing electric propulsion and orbital aerodynamics that could open entirely new satellite operating regimes.