SmallGEO marked a pivotal step in Europe’s efforts to diversify and strengthen its telecommunications satellite industry
Developed under ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme, SmallGEO was designed to fill a strategic gap between large, high-capacity geostationary satellites and smaller, more flexible systems. Its goal: to deliver a lightweight, modular and cost-effective platform for commercial and institutional geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) missions.
By enabling European industry to build smaller, efficient, and competitive GEO satellites, the SmallGEO platform has become a foundation for several follow-on projects, including Electra and HummingSat, that continue to evolve Europe’s presence in the global telecommunications market.
In the early 2000s, Europe’s satellite industry was dominated by large GEO spacecraft exceeding 5 to 6 tonnes in launch mass. These satellites were powerful but costly to build and launch, restricting access for smaller operators and niche missions. ESA and its partners recognised the need for a mid-class geostationary platform that would reduce manufacturing and launch costs; offer flexible configurations for different payloads, strengthen Europe’s independent access to commercial satellite markets and support the technological competitiveness of medium-sized companies.
In response, SmallGEO was initiated under ESA’s legacy ARTES 11 framework, with the led by OHB System AG (Germany), with significant contributions from OHB Sweden, Tesat Spacecom, Airbus Defence and Space, and Thales Alenia Space, within a consortium of European suppliers.
SmallGEO’s design
The SmallGEO platform is a modular satellite bus designed for geostationary missions in the mass range of 2 to 3.5 tonnes, roughly half the weight of conventional GEO satellites. It offers a flexible payload capacity of 300–600 kg, and power generation of up to 6 kW, making it sufficient for a broad range of telecommunications payloads, including broadcast, broadband, and secure communications.
Some of its game-changing features include
The modular design of the SmallGEO bus makes it an attractive choice for both commercial and institutional customers seeking a tailored platform without the expense of custom satellite design.
SmallGEO’s legacy
Several satellites have been developed using the SmallGEO platform or its derivative, validating its performance and flexibility in orbit.
Hispasat 36W-1 (H36W-1)
Operated by Hispasat (Spain), Hispasat 36W-1 was the first satellite built using the SmallGEO platform and the first large-scale telecommunications mission led by OHB SE. A communications payload was developed by Tesat Spacecom with 20 Ku-band transponders and a novel reconfigurable payload from TESAT (REDSAT), which enables flexible channel allocation. The successful operation of H36W-1 validated SmallGEO as a reliable platform and marked Europe’s entry into a new GEO class.
Electra Platform
Building on SmallGEO’s success, ESA and OHB developed Electra, a variant using fully electric propulsion for both orbit-raising and station keeping. The Electra platform offers similar payload performance but dramatically reduces launch mass and propellant needs, cutting overall costs. SES in Luxembourg is a major commercial partner for the first Electra satellite.
HummingSat
The modular SmallGEO architecture is also serving as a reference for future ESA and commercial missions including HummingSat, an even smaller geostationary class designed by SWISSto12.
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CONTACT
Michael Witting
ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC)
Keplerlaan 1
2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
+31 625158619
Michael.Witting@esa.int
Documents
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Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES)
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Partnership Projects programme
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