Munich Startup: What was the main motivation for founding Vyoma, what made you say: “Let’s tackle traffic management in space”?
Stefan Frey, Vyoma: The motivation for founding Vyoma was growing concern about the increasing congestion of space. Today, there are tens of thousands of active satellites and hundreds of thousands of small pieces of space debris orbiting the Earth. Even tiny fragments can cause massive damage due to the high orbital speeds. We saw a major gap in the industry's approach to addressing these risks and knew we had to fill it. Managing space traffic isn't just a technical challenge—it's critical to the future of space exploration and satellite operations. Without a appropriate solution the sustainability of space activities is at risk.
Vyoma not only focuses on monitoring space, but goes a few steps further: We They want to fully automate satellite operations. This is not only about avoiding collisions, but also about ensuring the long-term viability of space as a resource for all.
Munich Startup: So the response to the ideas was positive from the start? Where did you find support?
Stefan Frey: From the outset, Vyoma received tremendous support from Europe's dynamic space community. The company quickly became involved in key European initiatives, including projects funded by the European Commission, the European Defence Fund, and the European Space Agency (ESA). Our commitment to sustainability in space resonated with organizations similarly concerned about the growing threats posed by space debris. This alignment with the EU's strategic objectives helped us build momentum and solidify our role in developing solutions to one of space exploration's greatest challenges.
Vyoma relies on ground-based sensors and, in the future, its own satellites
It's been inspiring to see how many people share our vision for a safer and more sustainable space environment. The relationships we've built within the ecosystem have not only fueled our growth but also underscored the urgency of our work. They've also helped us attract the amazing talent who are now taking the development of our solutions to the next level.
Munich Startup: How exactly does your solution work? Where do you get your data from?
Stefan Frey: Vyoma uses a combination of ground-based and (future) proprietary space-based sensors to closely monitor the space environment. Our satellites—the first of which will be launched in 2025—are equipped with optical sensors that provide real-time Space Situational Awareness (SSA), allowing us to track and map orbiting objects. We process the data into a catalog of space objects that can be used to predict space traffic in the coming days. This allows satellite operators to make quick and informed decisions to avoid potential collisions and adjust orbits as needed.
Better data will also mean fewer evasive maneuvers will be necessary in the future, because better data means we can predict the probability of collision with greater certainty. If we know exactly where two objects are located, we can plan for a small separation. By making these and other decisions automatically, we can make satellite operations much more efficient than is possible today.
Additional satellites for a crowded orbit?
Munich Startup: As you mentioned, you're also working on your own constellation in space to enrich your services with space-based data. At first glance, it might seem contradictory to launch additional objects into an already crowded orbit in order to monitor the objects in the same orbit. Can you explain why this is necessary?
Stefan Frey: At first glance, putting more satellites into an already crowded orbit seems counterintuitive, but for Vyoma, it's a crucial step toward improving space safety. Today, only about 40,000 objects larger than 10 cm are regularly tracked from the ground. The 1,000,000 objects larger than 1 cm—which can still cause significant damage if they collide with satellites—are not tracked because they cannot be observed from a great distance without consuming a lot of power. Our satellite constellation provides comprehensive, highly available, yet affordable data on space debris as small as a few centimeters.
This is because there are no weather or atmospheric effects in space to interfere with our measurements. We use large apertures that block stray light, resulting in highly sensitive instruments. Thanks to passive optical technology, we don't need to consume large amounts of power. And by choosing our orbit wisely, we can achieve constant angles of solar illumination. All of this results in a highly sensitive, highly efficient observing system.
Furthermore, our projected constellation consists of only twelve satellites. We don't plan to launch hundreds or even thousands of satellites.
Challenges in the New Space industry
Munich Startup: If you launch your own satellites into space, will you also become a hardware startup? Did you plan this from the beginning, or did you add it to your business plan later?
Stefan Frey: We recognized early on that owning and operating our own sensors was critical. To offer guaranteed latencies and contractually defined priorities, there's no way around it. However, we don't build our own hardware. Instead, we define the precise sensor requirements we need to provide effective service to our customers and then procure the telescopes and satellite buses from the appropriate specialists. This approach helps us have a 100 kg satellite with a large telescope operational in just a few years.
Munich Startup: What other challenges have you encountered on your journey so far? And how did you overcome them?
Stefan Frey: The New Space economy is still young. There's a trend toward more standardization, but we still have to work with components that aren't available off-the-shelf. Therefore, having a reliable supply chain is a major challenge. We're addressing this by diversifying our supply chain and ensuring that we always have at least one alternative in case there's a problem with the first supplier.
Munich Startup: Who are your customers today? What role do public and private customers play for you?
Stefan Frey: Our main customers are satellite operators, both commercial and institutional. They naturally have an interest in protecting and efficiently using their satellites. They are informed about upcoming conjunction events and can use our services to optimally plan evasive maneuvers.
Vyoma aims to develop a fully automated system for satellite operators
However, security is only one part of our operational capabilities; threat prevention is another. Space is increasingly becoming a domain for military operations. Intercepting satellite-to-satellite communications is no longer a fiction. Our services are therefore also of interest to the various European space forces, where our data and intelligence services can help prevent the loss of space assets due to malicious attacks.
Munich Startup: What future do you envision for Vyoma in the space industry?
Stefan Frey: Our vision at Vyoma is to develop a fully automated system for satellite operators. We are moving toward this goal step by step. We currently provide Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Traffic Management services that help satellite operators navigate an increasingly crowded and complex space environment. Our solutions are designed to ensure that space operations remain safe, sustainable, and efficient.
Looking ahead, we plan to expand our satellite operations capabilities and pursue greater automation. In doing so, we will help reduce the operating costs and risks of satellite operators worldwide and make satellites more commercially viable. Our goal is to provide the necessary tools to streamline satellite operations and enable more efficient and secure management of space traffic.
Munich Startup: Vyoma was founded in Darmstadt, in close proximity to some of ESA's most important facilities. What prompted you to move your headquarters to Munich?
Stefan Frey: Munich offers a vibrant ecosystem for space technology and innovation, with proximity to research institutions and other space companies. The move enabled Vyoma to leverage a broader network of talent and resources and position itself in a city that is becoming increasingly important for the European space industry.
