Our ESA shops service was first introduced at ESAC in Madrid in February 2024. After over a year, we’re proud to announce that from July, ATG started to manage the ESA shops across six locations!

This project demonstrates ATG’s capabilities in delivering end-to-end operational solutions, including:

• Retail operations management
• On-site service coordination
• Efficient problem-solving capabilities
• Commercialization and distribution support
• Seamless integration with our partners’ internal processes

By combining strong management support with operational expertise, we enabled ESA to offer its official merchandise efficiently and consistently across six establishments.

A huge thank you to our dedicated teams for their hard work. Your efforts continue to showcase ATG’s commitment to delivering valuable, practical solutions that empower our partners’ goals!

We are pleased to announce that Giuseppe Spoliti will be joining ATG Europe as the new Business Development Director for ATG Italy and Defense, effective May 1st!

Giuseppe brings a wealth of experience in strategic business development, with over 15 years in the space industry and 10 years in the defense sector, across European countries. His expertise makes him an excellent fit for the role and aligns strongly with ATG Europe’s evolving ambitions.

Throughout his career, Giuseppe has held several key leadership roles, most notably as CCO and later CEO of Babcock Italia. His proven track record in leading high-impact operations and scaling strategic initiatives will be instrumental in strengthening ATG Europe’s market presence in defense.

Looking ahead to his journey at ATG, Giuseppe shares: “I’ve always been intentional about working with organizations that share my values, particularly around diversity and integrity. ATG Europe stands out as a place where those principles truly align.”

Giuseppe’s appointment marks a step forward for ATG Europe as we continue to expand our capabilities and deliver innovative solutions to clients across key sectors. We’re excited to welcome Giuseppe to the team and look forward to the positive impact his leadership will bring!

With breadboard testing being lined up, this achievement marks a milestone on the CMPA’s journey toward commercialization. We look forward to seeing how the upcoming testing phase unfolds, and to following the team’s continued efforts as they move toward full-scale manufacturing and qualification testing.

Congratulations to the team!

Last week, the HEO (Hawk for Earth Observation) Pathfinder microsatellite successfully entered orbit!

This marks the launch of the first satellite in the Hawk for Earth Observation constellation, part of the IRIDE programme—an ambitious Italian space initiative funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Coordinated by the European Space Agency (ESA) with support from the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the IRIDE programme involves the deployment of six satellite constellations, one of which is Hawk for Earth Observation, developed by the Italian company Argotec, based in San Mauro Torinese. 

As a pathfinder, the HEO microsatellite serves as a prototype for what is to come in the following years: the creation of Italy’s Earth observation constellation This end-to-end system will include both the upstream component (satellite constellations), the downstream component (ground operational infrastructure), and the service segment—ultimately providing a wide range of geospatial services to institutional users. 

ATG is extremely proud of the role we continue to play in this program, and of our colleagues working together with ESA and ASI to make it a success. For example, we support IRIDE by providing technical assistance to the integrated project team (covering end-to-end technical reviews), as well as communication services. 

This year alone, a further 9 HEO satellites are planned for launch, with 15 more expected in 2026. As we move forward, there will be much more progress to witness. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the ATG team for this remarkable achievement! 

We are proud to announce the launch of a new domain of services to the European Space Agency (ESA)!

Over the years, as one of the main service providers to the European Space Agency, ATG has built a strong portfolio of services across various fields. Now, we’re expanding further into the educational domain, providing support to the execution of the ESA’s Education Program with a focus on two key areas:

STEM Learning and Inspiration Programme (WP ECO-28-01 and ECO-28-02)

Aimed at inspiring children and youth aged 3–18, we are supporting the STEM Learning and Inspiration programme through initiatives that engage this age group directly or via their educators. These efforts span formal education (in schools) and informal/non-formal learning activities including workshops, webinars, etc.

Communication and Promotion Activities (WP ECO-30-04)

Our team is working on outreach and promotion for the entire ESA Education Office. This includes both the STEM Learning and Inspiration programme (3–18 years old) and the ESA Academy, which serves university students and young professionals aged 18+.

Last week, the newly composed team gathered at ATG HQ to celebrate this exciting service launch. With a renewed focus on collaboration, communication, service orientation, and teamwork, we are ready to achieve remarkable results and make a meaningful impact in the educational sector.

We are proud to announce that, once again in 2023, our client, the European Space Agency (ESA), has recognized and honored ATG-Europe with the EFC2 Best in Domain Award across several categories. This award reflects our dedication to providing exceptional services, including:

• Automation, Optics, and Life Science Support (SERVICES) 
• Aerothermodynamics & Propulsion Engineering (MAS & SERVICES) 
• Communication, Education, and Marketing (MAS & SERVICES) 
• Environmental Testing and Mechanical AIV Engineering (MAS & SERVICES) 

• IT Support (SERVICES) 

This achievement is a true testament to ATG-Europe’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. It also shows the effectiveness and success rate of ATG Service solutions. 

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all colleagues who have dedicated their time and energy to delivering outstanding service. Your hard work and commitment have made this recognition possible, and we could not have achieved it without you. 

Meeting with our experts? Yes! – Exploring business opportunities? Absolutely – Excited for product advancements? Get ready—there are many new updates! 

ATG Europe is thrilled to invite you to join us for the Space Tech Expo 2024-Europe’s largest B2B space event. There’s more to experience this year as we’re bringing something special: 

Engineering Services & Product Development

Our engineering services form the foundation of our contribution to the space industry, supporting every phase of space missions from initial concept to final launch. Our team is ready to discuss solutions tailored precisely to meet your project’s needs. 

Full-scale Cylinder

Our award-winning lattice technology is here again! Over the past year, we’ve integrated new advancements into the technology and applied them to not only satellite central tubes, but also to launcher interstages, and multi-payload adaptors. The perfect time to showcase them is now! 

ICARUS Final Product

We’re unveiling the MVP of our ICARUS Virtual Reality tool, specifically made for high-precision training of mechanical assembly and integration processes. ICARUS is now even more effective at optimizing training impact and quality assurance in complex systems. 

Visualization and Animation

Our scientific artists specialize in creating realistic, lifelike renderings and animations from any concept or design stage. See how we can bring your designs to life, using either the actual design files or simply your ideas! 

Lately, we had the opportunity to attend two leading conferences in the space engineering community, where we showcased our latest research, grounded in hands-on project experience.

At #ECSSMET, the conference for mechanical engineers, ATG Engineering presented two studies highlighting our recent work on two different projects.

📄 STOP Analysis for the CLIM Instrument: Application and Lessons Learned

This paper explains the STOP verification process with a focus on thermo-elastic classification methods, thermal control system optimization, and key takeaways from applying European guidelines for thermo-elastic verification in the CLIM project. Read the paper here.

📄 Application of the Mass Operator Method to Estimate Interface Forces in Vibration Testing

The paper highlights the use of the mass operator method to estimate interface forces in the vibration testing of the ALTIUS Optical Unit, comparing it with other techniques and exploring its practical benefits. Read the paper here.

Following ECSSMET, we attended the ESTEW workshop – a forum for thermal engineers to exchange ideas and brought up a study that explores innovative approaches to thermal testing methodologies.

📄 Thermal Testing & Correlation in the Frequency Domain

The study explores the feasibility of frequency domain thermal testing as a complementary method to standard thermal tests, highlighting its potential for improved accuracy and cost-effective efficiency gains. You can find the presentation here.  

Last week, ATG joined the NL Space tent at the ESA ESTEC Open Day, welcoming more than 11,000 enthusiastic visitors! As an active contributor who has been deeply involved in the European space industry, we were excited to share our passion with the public. And to make space more accessible and engaging for everyone, we brought along something special…

Our VR stations were a huge hit! – Even though the queues were long, both kids and their parents eagerly waited for their turn to explore space mission in an interactive way. With a strong competence in immersive interface development, our VR devices truly put the distant universe right at users’ fingertips. One young visitor excitedly shared, “I’ve always wanted to try VR, and now that it’s incorporated with space exploration, it’s both fun and educational!”

Our photobooth added even more fun to the day. – It was wonderful to see so many smiles as families and friends enjoyed their time and inspire the next generation of explorers!