GMV secures contract to provide Spanish Air and Space Force with advanced space operations simulator
by Hugo Ritmico
Madrid, Spain (SPX) Feb 28, 2025

The Spanish Air and Space Force's Logistics Support Command (MALOG), through its Directorate-General of Procurement (DAD), has awarded GMV a contract to develop and implement a cutting-edge simulator for training personnel in orbital mechanics and space operations. As part of the agreement, GMV will also provide ongoing maintenance and user training services.

Space operations have become increasingly vital for military strategies, with armed forces relying more heavily on satellite-based communication, navigation, and surveillance systems. This dependence brings rising risks and challenges, including natural threats such as space weather and asteroids, as well as human-induced dangers like space debris collisions, megaconstellation congestion, and the growing militarization of space.

Spain's commitment to space defense is reflected in the 2022 renaming of its Air and Space Force and the establishment of the Space Command (MESPA) in 2023, which oversees the Space Surveillance and Operations Center (COVE). Since its inception in 2019, COVE has been progressively enhancing its capabilities in space situational awareness and surveillance, requiring a highly skilled workforce trained in astrodynamics and space domain operations.

GMV has played a key role in supporting COVE since its inception, providing software tools and participating in international space defense initiatives like Global Sentinel. Under this newly secured contract, GMV will supply a simulator designed for advanced orbital mechanics training. This initiative includes educational programs and specialized training sessions for personnel stationed at COVE and other space operations units.

Scheduled for deployment by late 2025, the simulator will become an integral training and operational asset for the Spanish Air and Space Force starting in 2026. Given the project timeline and performance requirements, GMV's solution will be based on Ecosstm, a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software tailored for space surveillance. Ecosstm is already in use at several operational centers, including Germany's military space surveillance system (Weltraumlagezentrum), the Greek civilian space surveillance system, and GMV's Focusoc commercial space operations center. It will also serve as the foundation for COVE's Space Situational Awareness and Control System (CCSE), set to launch in 2025.

This contract solidifies GMV's leadership in European space surveillance, command, and control systems, reinforcing its commitment to delivering advanced solutions that enhance the safety and effectiveness of military space operations.

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