Flamingo-1: Germany’s First Space-Based SDA Telescope Delivers Commercial Space Surveillance and Tracking

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October 29, 2026

Press release

Flamingo-1: Germany’s First Space-Based SDA Telescope Delivers Commercial Space Surveillance and Tracking

The Flamingo-1 satellite operates at a high duty cycle, reliably monitoring space traffic from low Earth orbit (LEO) to geostationary Earth orbit (GEO)

Vyoma’s intelligence data is supporting its customers in safeguarding their assets in space from deliberate attacks and accidental collisions

Flamingo-1 is a big step towards closing the European sovereign capability gap in independently understanding the space domain

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Munich, October 29th, 2026 – Vyoma, a Germany-based company providing Space Domain Awareness (SDA) capabilities, has entered routine operations with its Flamingo-1 satellite. The satellite operates at a high duty cycle, continuously monitoring space objects, scouting for threats from LEO to GEO.

The space-based image data generated by Flamingo-1 is further processed by Vyoma into products, services and intelligence in high demand among the SDA community and Vyoma’s customers to better understand the space domain from both a safety and a security perspective. The information is delivered to the company’s customers through the Vyoma Services Platform.

Flamingo-1 operates both in surveillance and in tracking mode. In surveillance mode, the satellite continuously screens a large volume of space, setting it apart from ground-based optical systems that are idle during the day or when obstructed by bad weather. Its pointing is optimized to observe high-density regions with dozens of space objects – catalogued and uncatalogued – crossing its field of view simultaneously, resulting in a large data output of captured objects. This high volume of data is ideal for creating and maintaining a catalogue of space objects, capturing satellite manoeuvres, and observing newly inserted objects into orbit quickly.

In tracking mode, Flamingo-1 follows a predefined trajectory to observe objects of interest, such as military targets, close approaches of other space objects (both accidental and intentional) or payload launcher separations. Even in tracking mode, Flamingo-1 continues to detect other, unrelated objects, whose data is processed and integrated into the Vyoma catalogue of space objects. Being space-based allows Flamingo-1 to observe in regions that are otherwise virtually inaccessible from the ground.

The lifetime of the Flamingo-1 satellite is at least five years. Vyoma’s network of Flamingo sensors will be extended with Flamingo-2 in early 2027, and to more than a dozen by 2029. The sensors are distributed to form a space-based space fence, capturing all relevant space objects at high revisit rates. This proprietary sensor network enables Vyoma to create and maintain a fully independent catalogue of space objects, addressing a pressing European sovereign capability gap.

“The transition to Flamingo-1 routine operations marks a stepping stone for Vyoma and European sovereignty in SDA. We have de-risked our technology, enabling Europe to take a big step towards keeping custody of critical space assets. The data generated by Flamingo-1 helps space commands to defend space-based infrastructure, without gaps or interruptions. With this data, Europe reduces its dependency on extracontinental sources of information, strengthening its own geostrategic autonomy. We cannot wait for our second satellite to be up in orbit in 2027!” says Dr. Luisa Buinhas, Chief Programme Officer of Vyoma.

About Vyoma

Vyoma builds sovereign space domain awareness (SDA) capabilities for national governments and their partners. Its own space-based surveillance satellite constellation monitors the low Earth orbit (LEO) to geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) orbital regime, scouting for threats and tracking objects of interest. These advanced sensing capabilities empower space commands, satellite operators and space agencies to make strategic and informed tactical decisions. It helps them operate securely, adaptively and without single points of failure, while staying independent in SDA.

Founded in Munich in 2020, Vyoma develops space domain awareness and autonomous satellite control, and takes part in European Commission and European Space Agency (ESA) programmes.

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Press contact

Kate Bodko

E-Mail: media@vyoma.space

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