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YEESS Shines at the 17th European Space Conference


Posted on January 31, 2025

YEESS made a remarkable impact in this 17th ESC with members actively participating in high-profile panels. Our President and Vice President also gained significant media attention, spotlighting the current challenges faced by young European space companies.

Launch of the YEESS Observatory

For the first time ever, YEESS unveiled its Observatory : a comprehensive report detailing the progress of our members. Both ESA and European Commission representatives expressed admiration for the growth of YEESS members and recognized the vital role of emerging players in the industry.

Available in both print and digital formats, the YEESS Observatory will be an annual publication, providing transparent updates on how YEESS members are advancing Europe’s space ambitions.

YEESS’ Participation in Eight Major Panels

YEESS President, Juan Tomas Hernani, spoke at the Towards a European Space Industrial Strategy panel alongside Catherine Kavvada, Director for Secure and Connected Space at DG DEFIS. Hernani emphasized the need for institutions to trust young companies with prime industry roles and encouraged traditional companies to collaborate with newcomers to foster fairer competition and innovation.

Extract of Juan Tomas’ panel contribution

Vice President Nicolas Capet participated in the Solving the Competitiveness Equation for a Sovereign Europe panel, where he joined industry leaders including Josef Aschbacher (European Space Agency), Timo Pesonen (European Commission), and Rodrigo da Costa (EUSPA). Nicolas highlighted the critical contributions of young companies to the EU space industry, stating:

“We promote innovation, bring added value to the traditional space sector, and are creating jobs while expanding our businesses beyond Europe.”

In addition, Maxime Jambon from Exotrail participated in the Developing European Capabilities and Ensuring Space Sustainability: In-Orbit Servicing and Active Debris Removal panel, while Xavier Llairo of Pangea Aerospace spoke at the Infrastructure, Operations, and Launchers for Agile, Sustainable, and Competitive Launch Services panel.

Rosa Ruiloba from Unseenlabs participated in the Earth Observation Governmental Services and Commercial Satellite Imagery for Security and Defense panel.

Benoît Deper from Aerospacelab and Stella Guillen from Isar Aerospace joined the Accelerating Europe’s Space Ecosystem: Perspectives from Companies and Investors panel.

Juan Tomas Hernani, in his capacity as both YEESS President and CEO of Satlantis, also participated in The Business of Space: Opportunities and Challenges in the Investment Journey panel alongside Dinka Dinkova from DG DEFIS.

Celebrating Milestones in Copernicus Contributing Missions

The European Space Conference also marked a significant milestone, with members Constellr, Satlantis, and Aerospacelab among the nine European scale-ups officially recognized as Copernicus Contributing Missions joining the Copernicus Space Data Ecosystem (CSDE) as emerging data suppliers. This milestone strengthens their position in the space sector, enhancing visibility and expanding service capabilities within the ESA’s and European Commisison’s Copernicus program. 

Networking Opportunities at the YEESS Dinner

YEESS members participated in a networking dinner with institutional partners from the Iris2 program, DG DEFIS, and ESA Commercialisation. The dinner provided an excellent opportunity for discussions on the role of emerging players in the space industry and for strengthening partnerships, indicating a real synergy between institutions and the industry.

Media Coverage: YEESS in the Spotlight

YEESS received extensive media coverage, appearing in major outlets such as EuroNews and specialized media like the Space Intel Report by Peter de Selding, La Lettre and La Chronique Spatiale highlighting our syndicate’s growing influence in the space sector.