GMV has been selected by the Spanish Air and Space Force to deliver an orbital mechanics simulator for advanced space surveillance, command, and control training.
The contract has been awarded by the service through its Logistics Support Command’s Directorate-General of Procurement.
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Space operations have become a pivotal aspect of the military sphere, with armed forces increasingly reliant on satellite systems for communication, location, and monitoring.
This shift is highlighted by the renaming of the Air and Space Force in 2022 and the establishment of the Space Command in 2023, which includes Spain’s Space Surveillance and Operations Center (COVE).
Since its inception in 2019, the COVE has been enhancing its capabilities and space situational awareness tools, with its operational workforce expanding annually.
GMV has supported the centre by supplying software tools and assisting in international space cooperation exercises, such as Global Sentinel.
As per the terms of the contract, GMV is also tasked with providing maintenance services and user training.
In 2020, the Spanish Ministry of Defense entrusted GMV with a €2.7m ($2.81m) contract to develop, deploy, and maintain the Space Situational Awareness and Control System for the COVE.
The latest contract extends GMV’s involvement to include training and development at various educational institutions and for personnel from units and organisations engaged in space operations, particularly at the COVE.
The simulator is scheduled to be operational by late 2025 and will serve as a training and operational resource for Air and Space Force personnel from 2026.
Given the project timelines and the need for specific features, the simulator will be based on GMV’s commercial software for space surveillance systems Ecosstm.
It is already in use at centres such as the German military’s space surveillance system and GMV’s commercial space surveillance operations centre.
This comes after Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles visited the Space Command (MESPA), created by merging the Aerospace Observation Systems Center (CESAEROB) and the COVE, in January 2024.
