The Road to SIGI: Reflex Aerospace’s First Satellite Takes Flight

When Reflex Aerospace was founded in 2021, the goal was ambitious but clear: to design, build, and launch our first commercial satellite as quickly as possible. At the time, the company didn’t yet know what the spacecraft would look like, what mission it would serve, or even who would build it. What Reflex did have was a vision to prove that European NewSpace manufacturing could be faster, smarter, and more adaptable than the traditional model.

Three years later, that vision became a reality with SIGI, Reflex Aerospace’s first satellite. The road to SIGI represents more than a technical achievement; it’s a story of innovation, collaboration, and relentless commitment from a team determined to redefine how satellites are made and delivered.

From concept to launch, SIGI has been a symbol of what’s possible when engineering precision meets startup agility. The Reflex team assembled experts from across Europe. System engineers, hardware designers, and integration specialists all working toward a shared goal: to build a satellite platform that embodies Reflex’s mission of fast, flexible, and mission-ready manufacturing.

As CEO Walter Ballheimer notes in the video, “We are extremely happy that we’ve been able to assemble a team which has shown extreme commitment over the last three and a half years to make our dream a reality.”

By early 2025, SIGI was ready for shipment to its launch site at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The final steps of packaging, integration campaign, and awaiting first contact from orbit, mark the culmination of countless hours of design, testing, and refinement. For Reflex, that first signal from SIGI didn’t just confirm mission success; it affirmed that Europe’s next generation of space manufacturers has arrived.

SIGI is only the beginning. As Reflex continues to expand its portfolio of high-performance, custom satellite platforms, the company’s focus remains the same: enabling Europe to achieve sovereign space capability faster, smarter, and without compromise.