The international space sector will meet again this year in Spain, with the arrival of the Small Satellites & Services International Forum (SSSIF) to be held on February 20, 21 and 22 in the city of Malaga. The 2024 edition will be the fifth edition of SSSIF, a forum that annually brings together all types of international experts in the small satellite sector. It will address and analyze their current situation, as well as the advances, trends and challenges of this field that have revolutionized the space industry by significantly reducing launch and development costs.
"The forum represents a unique opportunity to foster collaboration among key players in the space industry and gain in-depth insights into the current international landscape and future trends within the small satellite sector. This congress will include a comprehensive program of sessions, discussions and networking events designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge, as well as promote the continued development of small satellite technology to enhance our capabilities in space and on Earth." explained Miguel Angel Vazquez, Member of the SSSIF Organizing Committee.
Under the theme "Lunar & Cislunar Missions & Business", the goal of this next congress is to analyze the exploration missions that take place on the surface of the Moon, or its environment, either in its orbit or in the space between the Moon and Earth. Currently, our industry is dedicated to the exploration market with exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, deep space missions, astronomy or astrophysics missions, and missions with manned spaceflight in low Earth orbits. In recent years, private exploration initiatives such as private space stations or missions to exploit the Moon's resource have also emerged.
Lunar and Cislunar missions and the associated economy have grown exponentially over the last few years. Between 2013 and 2022, 30% of exploration missions have been in the lunar environment, with a total budget of $58.8 billion. Between 2023 and 2032, 47.4% of exploration missions are expected to target the lunar environment, with a budget of approximately $142.4 billion. This is an increase of 142% over the past decade, with the leading markets being USA (65%), China (19%), ESA (6%), Japan (2%), and Russia (1.5%).
During the three-day congress meeting, experts will discuss the new technological challenges that come with exploration missions, as well as the Lunar and Cislunar economy in several of its fields and applications, including earth observation services, communications, geolocation or navigation, among others.
The fifth edition of the Small Satellites & Services International Forum will be attended by renowned national and international speakers. Among these speakers are Andrés Martínez, Executive Director of Space Programs of NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems Division, who was responsible for 4 of the 10 small satellites of the Artemis I mission, Jordi Puig, Professor Emeritus of the Polytechnic University of California, entrepreneur, and creator of the CubeSat standard, Eva Villaver Sobrino, Director of the Space and Society Office of the Spanish Space Agency and Carlos García-Galán, ESM (European Service Module) Manager of the Orion Program of the NASA Glenn Research Center.
Three of the main sponsors of SSSIF 2024 are the Airbus Group, Spanish technology group GMV, and PLD Space, a Spanish company developing reusable rockets.
The next edition of SSSIF will be hosted in two conference halls and an exhibition area where international companies and institutions specializing in the space sector will present their technological advances and technical capabilities.
For more information visit: www.sssif.com