Spanish Air and Space Force receives space surveillance system developed by GMV

Today at its headquarters at the Torrejón Air Base near Madrid, the Spanish Space Command performed the official acceptance event for a Space Situational Awareness and Control System (CCSE). This is a key tool for surveillance, control, and management of activities in the space environment, developed by the multinational technology firm GMV for the Spanish Ministry of Defense.

The ceremony presided over by the Chief of Staff of the Spanish Air and Space Force (JEMA), General Francisco Braco Carbó, included the signing of the official system acceptance protocol by Admiral Aniceto Rosique Nieto, Director General of Armament and Material (DiGAM), and Major General Isaac Manuel Crespo Zaragoza, Commander of the Space Command.

During the event, Admiral Aniceto Rosique Nieto, DiGAM, emphasized the strategic role of Spain’s technology industry in the fields of defense and space sovereignty: “The space sector holds critical importance in an increasingly complex and interconnected world, where the relentless advance of disruptive technologies, along with hybrid, energy, and environmental threats, poses historic challenges.” He also highlighted that “the CCSE system is technologically cutting-edge in Europe, at a level reached by very few countries.”

The CEO of GMV was also present, Jesús B. Serrano, and during his remarks he stressed the importance of this project for strengthening Spain’s space capabilities: “with this CCSE system, GMV is making cutting-edge space technology available to the Spanish Ministry of Defense. The system represents the result of our leadership, experience in the industry, and ongoing investment in R&D. These are dual-use technologies that will not only enhance Spain’s space surveillance and security capabilities, but also advance the country’s technological development in general.”

Afterwards, those in attendance were able to observe an operational demonstration of the new CCSE system at the Space Operations and Surveillance Center (COVE), where its ability to present a comprehensive view of the space situation and ensure the safety and security of the country’s space assets was evident.

A key system for space sovereignty

The CCSE system was created in 2019 as part of the evolution of the Space Operations and Surveillance Center (COVE) under the Spanish Space Command (MESPA), with the aim of serving the national interest by ensuring security and situational awareness for the space environment. Its Initial Operational Capability (IOC) was demonstrated in 2021, and since then, COVE has participated in international exercises such as Global Sentinel, organized by the United States Space Command with GMV’s technological support.

Among the system’s main features are orbital calculation and propagation, the generation and maintenance of a space object catalog, atmospheric reentry prediction, observation campaign planning, overflight computation, GNSS signal degradation analysis, and space weather data processing. The system also stands out for its ability to process data from space surveillance sensors, such as the Spanish S3TSR radar located at Morón Air Base (Seville).

The software for the CCSE system is based on Ecosstm. This is a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution developed by GMV, which is already in use in other military and civilian operational systems.