Fuente: ESA
Madrid, December 10, 2024.
- Madrid-based ANZEN Engineering and Seville-based Alter Technology Spain will closely collaborate on various missions, including the ARIEL ESA mission, forecasted for launch in 2029.
ANZEN Engineering, a leading company in systems engineering and safety and reliability analysis for certification purposes, and Alter Technology Spain, a specialist in electronic components, materials, and process engineering for aerospace projects, have established a strategic partnership to jointly address the emerging challenges of the space sector.
The evolution of space missions in recent years has made safety and reliability measures more critical than ever. “These measures apply to virtually all mission types —from high-value applications, where flawless system performance is essential to ensure service availability, to new scientific and space exploration missions where satellites and spacecraft operate in harsh environments,” state both companies. They also point out the increasing concerns about orbital debris, which is now prompting even less complex missions to conduct reliability and quality assurance analyses to extend system life and help prevent space debris.
In this context, the collaboration between Anzen and Alter enables the delivery of comprehensive product assurance services to industrial partners and space operators, covering the entire mission lifecycle —from early concept and preliminary design to component selection and qualification, manufacturing process reviews, testing, and full system integration.
“This partnership with Alter Technology marks an alliance with a top-tier player in aerospace engineering, testing, and electronic component supply,” said Pablo de la Cruz, CEO of ANZEN Engineering. “Alter plays a vital role in major European space programs, as well as in many international projects across Asia and the Americas,” he added. Pablo de la Cruz believes that this new synergy will significantly accelerate ANZEN’s international expansion efforts.
Rafael Rodríguez Muñoz, Director of Equipment Testing & Certification at Alter Technology, emphasized that the alliance with ANZEN “enables Alter to extend essential services to our clients in high-reliability sectors, such as RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, and Safety) analysis, as well as fault and functional safety assessment.” According to Rodríguez Muñoz, these engineering tasks are very important in sectors like rail, aerospace, industrial, and defense, each with its own specific regulatory frameworks and a general lack of technical expertise. “Together with ANZEN, we can complement our testing and certification services with the added value of mandatory functional safety standards like IEC 61508, SIL levels, or SORA levels for drones, offering a compelling ‘one-stop-shop’ concept for our clients,” he noted. In the space sector, “we can jointly apply both classical and next-gen methodologies —such as HALT/HASS— to enhance safety and reliability in the New Space ecosystem.” He also mentioned opportunities in sustainability initiatives like Zero Debris or Space Sustainability Rating (SSR), stating that “ANZEN’s know-how creates exciting synergies with Alter’s established space market experience.”
Initial missions
One of the first joint projects is ARIEL, a mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA) and developed by Airbus Defence and Space, which is responsible for the satellite’s design and integration. With its forecasted launch for 2029, ARIEL will complement other major space missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope (launched in 2021) and Euclid (launched in July 2023).
In this mission, ANZEN is responsible for RAMS activities, while ALTER oversees verification of electronic components, materials, and processes. Both functions are essential, ensuring the satellite successfully completes its expected six-year operational life in space.
Looking ahead, the two companies plan to expand their collaboration to include institutional and commercial missions, as well as disruptive new concepts involving small satellites, New Space architectures, constellations, and on-orbit servicing.
About ANZEN Engineering
ANZEN Engineering is an international engineering company specialized in critical systems for the aerospace and defense sectors. Founded in 2019, it supports technically complex projects around the world, providing expertise in safety, reliability, airworthiness, ILS, cybersecurity, and MBSE. Its multidisciplinary team works with globally recognized standards, ensuring the certification and robustness of the platforms it supports. With a presence in Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East, ANZEN strengthens its position as a strategic, reliable, and independent partner committed to technical excellence and sustainable innovation.
Media contact
Raquel Parra
r.parra@iprisma.es
