Under the agreement, a Focusear system antenna will be installed at the base, while the Space Operations and Surveillance Center (COVE) of the Space Command (MESPA) will gain access to data generated by the system. The additional data will enhance COVE’s monitoring and control capabilities, complementing its existing Space Situational Awareness and Control System (CCSE), which was recently delivered by GMV and is based on its Ecosstm software.
The signing ceremony was presided over by the Chief of Staff of the Spanish Air and Space Force (JEMA), Air General Francisco Braco Carbó, and was attended by senior representatives from both the Ministry of Defence and GMV. The agreement provides for the installation of a passive radiofrequency receiving antenna at Morón Air Base, strengthening Spain’s ability to track satellites in geostationary orbit.
Following the signing, Air General Francisco Braco Carbó underlined Spain’s strategic role in defence and space sovereignty and the growing relevance of the space domain for military operations and civil services. “The signing of this agreement between the Spanish Air and Space Force and GMV represents another milestone in consolidating national space surveillance and space domain awareness capabilities,” he said, adding: “With this new antenna, the Space Operations and Surveillance Center will have a new source of critical data on space objects that will contribute to improving our space situational awareness.”
GMV Chief Executive Officer Jesús B. Serrano emphasised the company’s commitment to strengthening sovereign capabilities in space and defence. He stated: “With the collaboration agreement we are signing today, GMV’s Focusear system will have a new antenna at Morón Air Base, and COVE of the Space Command will have access to advanced and reliable passive radiofrequency satellite tracking data provided by the system, thereby complementing COVE’s current data sources and increasing its space situational awareness and protection of national assets in space, with the aim of fulfilling its assigned mission.”
The infrastructure to be deployed consists of a 2.7-metre diameter parabolic antenna designed to receive satellite signals without generating emissions or electromagnetic interference. GMV’s Focusear system is a passive sensor solution enabling automated and continuous tracking of satellites broadcasting in Europe from geostationary orbit in Ku-band, and the company provides data from the system to civil space surveillance networks, including EU SST, as well as satellite operators.
