At SmallSat Europe 2025 in Amsterdam, Italy’s SITAEL unveiled Empyreum, its next-generation small satellite platform equipped with the company’s proprietary Spark electric propulsion system. In this exclusive interview, Chiara Pertosa – CEO of SITAEL and one of second-generation leader of Angel Holding – explains what makes Empyreum unique, how Italy is expanding its satellite manufacturing capabilities, and why achieving European technological independence is more urgent than ever.
Could you walk us through the main features of the newly announced Empyreum platform and explain the market needs it addresses? Why did you name your new product Empyreum?
Empyreum is a modular, high-performance platform designed to meet the growing demand for agile and cost-effective satellites used for Earth Observation, Space Situational Awareness (SSA), and Telecom applications. One of its core features is the integration of our proprietary Spark electric propulsion system, which provides strong maneuvering capabilities, particularly in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) and in high delta-V missions.
Another key strength is its agility and pointing stability, making it ideal for high-resolution optical payloads for EO and SSA missions. It’s a flexible platform that’s also been engineered for production scalability. The Empyreum is also perfect for dual-use applications.
Empyreum, is our new-generation satellite. The name Empyreum comes from the Greek word empyros, meaning “in fire” or “fiery.”
In ancient cosmology, the Empyrean was considered the highest and purest part of the heavens. It was located beyond the sphere of fixed stars and was a realm of eternal light and home to the divine.
I chose the name Empyreum myself! It’s a technological gem.
What sets Empyreum apart from other small satellite platforms on the market?
We designed Empyreum to be highly performant and easy to build. Its modular, metallic structure allows for quick and simple assembly of subsystems using a plug/and/play approach. This means shorter delivery times, and lower costs. It’s not just about integration, we own the technology for 80% of the subsystems.
Thanks to our articulated solar arrays, we also offer up to 3 kW peak power, even on inclined orbits, which significantly expands its mission range.
Importantly, Empyreum is constellation-ready. Each satellite comes pre-integrated with optical inter-satellite links, which we believe are essential for next-generation distributed architecture.
What is SITAEL’s strategy for scaling its production to deliver Empyreum in series? Our journey began in 2021 with an initial private investment in our first Space Factory in Mola di Bari. There we built microHETSat, Italy’s first all-electric microsatellite.
Building on that success, and with the support of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) through Italy’s PNRR (Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan), we have now inaugurated Space Factory 4.0. This sustainable, digital, and fully integrated production and test facility is located just meters away from our headquarters.
Thanks to the IRIDE constellation, we were awarded a contract by the ESA to deliver five Platino Satellites with Hyperspectral payloads from Leonardo. This program has served as a test bed and a pilot for the series production of Italy’s post-pandemic space industry boost – SpaceNews.
This has significantly boosted our production capacity. It allows us to offer Empyreum not just as a one-off platform. It is now a series-ready product.
SITAEL has a strong legacy in electric propulsion. What innovations are being integrated into Spark, and why was it chosen as a standalone product?
Spark is the result of years of engineering, and we’re very proud of our achievement. It’s a compact, integrated, and flight-qualified electric propulsion system, ready for microsatellite platforms. What sets Spark apart is that all of its components — thruster, PPU, tank, and control electronics — are integrated and pre-tested as a unit.
We made it available to other satellite manufacturers because we believe European space players should rely on European technologies. Having strategic autonomy in space means not depending on non-European propulsion systems.
Where is Spark manufactured?
We are about to open a new production facility in Pisa dedicated entirely to electric propulsion. This new factory will enable us to increase our output by more than twofold, with the capacity to assemble and test several Spark units each month. This strategic investment supports both our internal needs and the broader European market.
What is the industrial and strategic significance of Space Factory 4.0, both for SITAEL and Italy’s space sector?
The timing couldn’t be better. The global market demands more satellites faster, and our Space Factory 4.0 is ready to deliver.
However, it’s not just about producing more satellites. We’re adopting a new industrial mindset from Angel Holding’s legacy in the railway and mechatronic sectors.
How do you see SITAEL’s position evolving within the New Space ecosystem, both in Europe and worldwide?
We are developing new products for commercial markets. We are here at Smallsat 2025 to launch the smallest member of our family. We have other satellite platforms in development, as well as larger sizes of electric propulsion systems and electronic equipment. These larger satellite platforms are designed for different applications, including Navigation, Telecommunications, and Earth Observation, and can carry larger payloads.
Moreover, we are not only increasing production capacity, but also making our satellites smarter.
Empyreum is designed to natively host AI-powered operations, including intelligent scheduling, autonomous health checks and onboard data processing.
This is where the market is headed, and we want to stay ahead of the curve. Our vision is clear: to deliver high-performance satellites, propulsion subsystems and electronic equipment at scale, with the intelligence to adapt in orbit. We want to achieve this from Italy, using European technology, for the world.
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