Advancing space technology where it matters most
Engineering secure, resilient and scalable space systems
Space is no longer a niche; it’s critical infrastructure for modern society and economic resilience. Satellite communications, Earth observation, and space derived data now underpin energy systems, transport, industry, and national security.
At the same time, the landscape is becoming more complex: multi‑orbit constellations (GEO/MEO/LEO), software‑defined payloads, rapidly growing data volumes, increasing debris, and a more contested security environment where jamming and cyber threats target satellite networks.
The question is no longer whether we depend on space, but whether our space systems are robust enough to carry that dependence.
Why space can’t wait
As authorities and businesses move critical functions into the space domain, dependence is growing faster than resilience. This increased reliance also makes systems more sensitive to disruption, heightening the need for protection in an increasingly harsh environment exposed to space weather, growing debris, and intentional interference.
Space is also pivotal in addressing sustainability challenges. Earth observation data has become indispensable for climate science, environmental monitoring, resource management, surveillance, and infrastructure planning. These capabilities provide a global, independent, and near real‑time situational awareness, enabling quick decision-making that cannot be achieved through terrestrial systems alone.
At the same time, lower costs and new technologies are accelerating commercialization. Satellite-based connectivity and data services are scaling rapidly, enabling global coverage and reliable uptime, while at the same time emerging as major revenue drivers. Value creation is shifting from individual satellites to robust integrated communication systems that combine satellites, terrestrial networks, software, and data.
The convergence of rising dependence, risk, and opportunity explains why space cannot wait. Resilience is lagging behind, and action can no longer be delayed.
Consequences of insufficient action
As space infrastructure becomes embedded in everyday functions and critical systems, growing dependency introduces new complexity and risks. Failures rarely remain isolated, and disruptions propagate across sectors, affecting energy networks, transport systems, communications, and security.
Without deliberate investment in resilience, systems fail to scale beyond demonstration phases; commercial value is lost, cyber and compliance risks increase, and dependency turns into long‑term vulnerability.
This is particularly evident in Earth observation and monitoring. Insufficiently robust EO systems reduce the reliability and continuity of climate, weather, and environmental data, limiting our ability to track deforestation, urbanization, melting ice, as well as to respond to natural disasters in near real time.
At the same time, in an information environment increasingly shaped by AI‑generated and manipulated content, the absence of trusted independent space‑based data risks eroding transparency and accountability. Without resilient Earth observation capabilities, society risks losing an objective reference for what is actually happening precisely when such reference points are most needed.
Lastly, organizations that fail to invest risk falling behind as competitors turn space into a source of resilience, insight, and sustained competitive advantage. This leads to a fundamental question for both space actors and organizations that may benefit from space‑enabled systems.
How do we turn space technology into reliable, secure, and scalable operational value on Earth?
The answer lies in connecting technology to valuable outcomes. This requires deliberate system design, early architectural decisions, and the ability to integrate space capabilities into real operational environments.
The following six design choices are critical to build future‑proof space systems:
Six critical design choices for future‑proof space systems
- 1. Architecting robust and scalable satellite communications
- 2. Designing for GNSS resilience through integrated satcom and complementary PNT
- 3. Applying intelligence early in the data chain
- 4. Cognitive radio for congested and contested spectrum
- 5. Space security & Compliance by Design
- 6. Design for Dual use4
Future‑proof architectures must ensure robust and scalable connectivity across satellite‑to‑satellite and satellite‑to‑ground links. Multi‑orbit configurations (GEO/MEO/LEO), combined with software‑defined, phased‑array systems and multiplexing, improve redundancy, spectrum efficiency, and interference resilience. This is critical for both commercial services and defense applications.
GNSS is vulnerable to interference. Integrating GNSS with satcom‑based timing and complementary PNT2 solutions reduces dependency on single systems and improves robustness and redundancy.
Onboard processing capabilities and AI enable advanced real-time critical data analytics, but also ready-to-use customer applications and services already in the satellite. These capabilities include sensor fusion as well as AI‑based image and signal processing to filter, classify, and prioritize data. This makes it possible to send more fully synthesized and actionable information from the satellite to ground (or from several satellites in a collaborative satellite network), which also reduces the load on the satellite links.
On the ground, EO/SAR streams (e.g., InSAR) are directly linked to operational decision-making, supporting applications such as risk assessment, fire detection, predictive maintenance, and asset health.
Future-proof space systems must be designed to operate in both congested and actively contested spectrum environments. Cognitive radio architectures leverage SDR and adaptive antenna arrays to dynamically optimize channel selection, power and antenna beams.
This improves link performance and availability, while managing interference, congestion, and competing users. Such capabilities are increasingly critical as NGSO3 traffic, terrestrial systems and electronic warfare place growing demands on the spectrum.
Security and compliance should be integrated into space systems from the start. Ensuring this at all layers, including space segments, communication links, terrestrial systems, and data, is crucial to secure products and services.
Furthermore, traceable regulatory compliance regarding adherence to standards, debris & collision management and critical infrastructure requirements is essential for trusted and resilient operations. It can also give a competitive advantage on the market.
Designing systems/products/services for both civilian and defense purposes within the same applications enables shared infrastructure, reduced cost, improved sustainability, and increased return on investment.
Dual use also strengthens resilience in critical societal functions and accelerates innovation. This should be prioritized early in the requirements & development phases (when and where applicable), and during the whole system lifecycle.
From space capability to societal value
Turning these design choices into operational and societal value requires system governance, cross‑disciplinary integration, and experience from regulated, safety‑critical environments. This is where many space initiatives struggle, not in building technology, but in scaling it into reliable operational systems.
AFRY supports space actors as well as organizations that want to utilize the benefits of space assets by combining space‑domain expertise with long‑term experience from complex, regulated domains such as energy, transport, communication, and defense. This enables clients to understand where advances in space technology create value, where they introduce risk, and how they can be integrated deliberately and responsibly.
Why AFRY
AFRY’s approach is pragmatic and system‑oriented, focusing on how different capabilities work together to create resilient and scalable solutions. By combining robust system architecture, AI‑driven analytics, and interference‑resilient communication with cybersecurity and regulatory compliance, AFRY enables space systems that perform reliably in real‑world operations. Strong governance and delivery capability ensure these solutions scale from design to long‑term operation.
With more than 15 years of hands-on experience in space programs and mission-critical systems, AFRY provides the engineering, governance, and delivery capability required to turn space investments into lasting value, for business, society and security.
