{"id":2242,"date":"2025-12-25T15:33:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T15:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/zenno-astronautics-secures-sprind-contract-to-develop-fuel-free-autonomous-satellite-operations-software\/"},"modified":"2025-12-25T15:33:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T15:33:26","slug":"zenno-astronautics-secures-sprind-contract-to-develop-fuel-free-autonomous-satellite-operations-software","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/zenno-astronautics-secures-sprind-contract-to-develop-fuel-free-autonomous-satellite-operations-software\/","title":{"rendered":"Zenno Astronautics Secures SPRIND Contract to Develop Fuel-Free Autonomous Satellite Operations Software"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.satnow.com\/news\/cover25123_639021566825900397.png\" width=\"712\" height=\"377\" alt=\"Zenno Astronautics Secures SPRIND Contract to Develop Fuel-Free Autonomous Satellite Operations Software\" class=\"imageload removeImageattr\" data-original=\"https:\/\/cdn.satnow.com\/news\/cover25123_639021566825900397.png\" style=\"opacity: 0;\"><meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.satnow.com\/news\/cover25123_639021566825900397.png\"><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"712\"><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"377\"><\/p>\n<p>Zenno Astronautics has been awarded a contract by Germany\u2019s Federal Agency for Breaktrhough Innovation (SPRIND) to develop a new generation of autonomous satellite operation software, enabled by the&nbsp;Supertorquer, Zenno\u2019s breakthrough superconducting magnetic technology.<\/p>\n<p>The project, titled Autonomous Fuel-Free Agility in Space, focuses on creating artificial-intelligence-assisted control algorithms and simulation environments that enable precise close-proximity satellite operations without chemical propulsion. Using Zenno\u2019s compact superconducting magnets, spacecraft will be able to safely and efficiently perform close-proximity operations such as docking, servicing, and in-orbit assembly\u2014all without fuel consumption.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThis validation contract from&nbsp;<\/em><em>SPRIND<\/em><em>&nbsp;is a major step for us,\u201d <strong>said Max Arshavsky, co-founder and CEO of Zenno Astronautics.&nbsp;<\/strong>\u201cIt will help bring&nbsp;<\/em><em>Zenno technology<\/em><em>&nbsp;to Europe and accelerate its adoption in the next generation of autonomous space systems. We look forward to working with SPRIND to push the boundaries of how spacecraft can cooperate in orbit.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-layout related-content-also-read-box my-3\">\n<h4 class=\"mb-0\">Also Read: What are Software-Defined Satellites and Their Role in Next-Generation Flexible and Reconfigurable Spacecraft?<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<p>The project will run for nine months and includes the development of AI-based control algorithms, a virtual multi-agent simulation sandbox, and a physical demonstration platform using&nbsp;Zenno\u2019s magnetic systems. It will draw on Zenno\u2019s expertise in superconducting electromagnetics and flight-proven software algorithms to enable real-time, closed-loop control of spacecraft interactions in orbit.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Zenno\u2019s co-founder and Chief Product Officer Sebastian Wieczorek added,<\/strong> \u201cAutonomous electromagnetic formation flight will redefine how satellites move and work together in orbit. By enabling close-proximity and fully autonomous operations, this technology lays the foundation for assembling megastructures in space \u2014 one of the industry\u2019s long-standing aspirations. It will also make historically complex tasks, such as docking with another spacecraft, servicing satellites, or removing&nbsp;<\/em><em>debris<\/em><em>, far more streamlined and routine, much like self-driving has transformed modern electric vehicles.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Zenno Astronautics is building next-generation hardware and software for spacecraft manoeuvrability, leveraging solar energy and the Earth\u2019s magnetic field to drive real impact. With its operational base in Auckland and a rapidly expanding network of global partners across the US, Europe, and Asia, Zenno is not only positioning New Zealand as a world-class space-technology nation \u2014 it is also establishing a strong foothold in Europe. In Europe, Zenno has founded its European entity in the Space Area Munich and aims to grow the company and its strategic role there over the next few years.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>SPRIND Team Members Stella Meir\u00e9 (Research &amp; Business Analyst) and Julius Keil (Project Manager) state:<\/strong> \u201cAt&nbsp;<\/em><em>SPRIND<\/em><em>, we are seeking breakthrough innovations that will place Europe at the forefront of space exploration.&nbsp;<\/em><em>Zenno<\/em><em>&nbsp;stands out with a completely new, fuel- and mechanically-free magnetic-control system that precisely aligns satellites, eliminates mechanical wear, and thereby significantly extends their orbital lifetime. We are delighted to validate, through our contract with Zenno, the first universal CPO solution within a virtual simulation environment, thus establishing the foundation for autonomous maintenance and docking manoeuvres in space.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zenno Astronautics has been awarded a contract by Germany\u2019s Federal Agency for Breaktrhough Innovation (SPRIND) to develop a new generation of autonomous satellite operation software, enabled by the&nbsp;Supertorquer, Zenno\u2019s breakthrough superconducting magnetic technology. The project, titled Autonomous Fuel-Free Agility in Space, focuses on creating artificial-intelligence-assisted control algorithms and simulation environments that enable precise close-proximity satellite [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[20],"class_list":["post-2242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-satellite"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2242"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2242\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}