European Space Companies Partner to Build Advanced Surveillance Satellite
Dawn Aerospace Selected to Provide Propulsion System for 2027 Geostationary Mission
A New Zealand-based space company has been chosen to supply critical propulsion technology for a French surveillance satellite scheduled to launch in 2027. The partnership between Dawn Aerospace and Infinite Orbits will support advanced space monitoring capabilities in geostationary orbit.
"The selection of our suppliers is key to the development of our services."
Marion Andrieux, Infinite Orbits
Dawn Aerospace was tapped to develop a SatDrive propulsion system for the upcoming Orbit Guard 3 mission. The spacecraft will serve as a geostationary surveillance microsatellite equipped with patented rendezvous technology that enables proximity inspection of orbital assets.
The Orbit Guard servicers represent agile satellites capable of performing space-based situational awareness missions. These platforms can conduct close-range inspections of geostationary assets, providing protection for strategic infrastructure in high-value orbital positions.
France's space agency CNES coordinates the Orbit Guard 3 project under the France 2030 initiative. The mission aims to demonstrate both surveillance and inspection capabilities when it launches in 2027.
"The selection of our suppliers is key to the development of our services," said Marion Andrieux, chief commercial operator at Infinite Orbits. "To develop efficient, innovative, and competitive solutions, we needed to identify strong European partners who share the same NewSpace vision. We found that in our partnership with Dawn Aerospace, and we are glad to have them on board for this remarkable mission."
Dawn Aerospace's SatDrive systems offer turnkey propulsion solutions with six degrees of freedom maneuverability. The company designed the electronics specifically for the geostationary environment's technical demands.
"We've had the privilege of collaborating with Infinite Orbits across several projects,"* said Jeroen Wink, director and chief revenue officer at Dawn Aerospace. *"Being selected to contribute our propulsion expertise to the Orbit Guard 3 mission is both an honor and a strong endorsement of our system capabilities."
The collaboration highlights growing partnerships between European space companies developing next-generation orbital services and monitoring capabilities.