Milestone for the european space industry TÜV Nord Group Supports Slovak Space Project

TÜV Nord Group is supporting the development of Slovakia’s first fully modular satellite, strengthening the European space industry.

TÜV Nord Group, through its subsidiary ALTER, is involved in the construction of the first fully Slovak-developed modular satellite, which enables flexible use for various mission purposes. ALTER plays a central role in the selection of components and testing procedures to ensure that all parts of the modular satellite withstand the extreme conditions of space, such as radiation and severe temperature fluctuations. In addition, ALTER ensures that the entire project complies with international standards for safety and sustainability.

On its first mission, the satellite will enhance safety in orbit by monitoring space weather and observing space objects. These tasks are crucial to protect communication and GPS satellites from disruptions caused by solar storms or cosmic radiation and to prevent collisions with space debris. Thanks to the modular design of the satellite platform, the modules can be adapted for different purposes such as telecommunications, technology demonstration or Earth observation. This significantly reduces development and production costs and extends the satellite’s service life by enabling components to be replaced or upgraded in orbit.

Europe’s security landscape is changing rapidly

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“Since each module can be procured, tested or updated independently, the satellite is also less susceptible to supply chain delays,” explains Pavla Dohanyosova, Project Manager at ALTER. In the event of bottlenecks, suppliers can simply be changed and components replaced with alternatives without delaying the planned launch.

The subsystems of the modular satellite, such as those for power supply, attitude and orbit control, must be harmonised so that they can work together efficiently at all times, even if individual modules within the satellite kit are changed. “Each subsystem must be able to operate independently and be tested individually, which requires strict standardisation of interfaces at an early stage of the design process,” explains Dohanyosova. ALTER plays a key role in this process and ensures that the entire project complies with international standards for safety and sustainability.

Sustainability is a central aspect of the Stephanik project. The project is committed to the European Space Agency’s ESA “Zero Debris Charter” and aims to leave no additional space debris in orbit. ALTER advises on the selection of materials and the launch vehicle, as well as on the development of strategies to avoid collisions in space and to ensure the controlled re-entry of the satellite into the Earth’s atmosphere at the end of its service life. ALTER’s experts contribute their extensive experience from numerous ESA and NASA missions to ensure that all parts of the modular satellite can withstand the extreme conditions in space.

Reducing Space Debris 

TÜV Nord Group is Committed to Increasing Safety for Space Systems

The Stephanik project brings together the expertise of institutions, companies and research organisations from Slovakia, Spain and Germany. The goal is to develop a modular satellite platform weighing more than 150 kilograms that stands out for its versatility.