MARINA: A Satellite Symbolizing the Transformation of Central Europe’s Space Industry

Just a few years ago, Czech and Slovak companies operated mainly as suppliers to space agencies and major international satellite manufacturers. Today, they are preparing missions of their own, collecting data from orbit, and aiming to build meaningful global services around them. For example in radiation monitoring and space weather forecasting. This transformation is symbolized by the MARINA mission, scheduled to launch on 7 July from Vandenberg Space Force Base in the United States aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

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Behind the initiative is the Slovak company Satellites With Meaning (SWM) and visionary Mr. Boris Procík. Its goal is to demonstrate a new way of thinking about space missions. SWM brings together companies, research institutions, and future customers in projects designed to deliver tangible societal and commercial value. MARINA is the first reference mission for this vision.

“For us, MARINA proves that space is no longer a distant domain reserved only for major powers/big companies. Even a small CubeSat can carry a big idea if it is backed by courage, strong partners, and a clear story,” explains Charley Hodossy, co-founder and CMO of Satellites With Meaning.

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A Fully Equipped Nanosatellite

The 1.2-kilogram nanosatellite is only slightly larger than a Rubik’s Cube. It is expected to operate in orbit for up to four years. The objective is to collect data and learn how to turn it into a commercial product. The technical implementation of the entire mission was carried out by the Czech company Spacemanic, building on its experience from several previous satellite missions.

“We are extremely pleased that, following the highly successful VERONIKA mission, we have once again earned the trust of our customer and can bring their vision to life in the form of the new MARINA satellite. For us, this is a confirmation of the capabilities, quality, and dedication of the Spacemanic team, which has contributed to five out of the five Slovak satellites launched to date. At the same time, this mission is a step toward ensuring that similar missions are not just one time successes, but gradually build a foundation for future data, services, and technologies.” says Mr. Jakub Kapuš, founder and CEO of Spacemanic CZ.

Spacemanic built the spacecraft on its own satellite platform. Within the compact structure, the team successfully integrated the complete onboard infrastructure, including the power system, onboard computers, communication modules, GPS, attitude determination and control system, solar panels, and an Earth-observation camera. According to Mr. Kapuš, this confirms that even very small satellites can serve as important tools for collecting data from orbit, demonstrating technologies, and developing future services.

“It is clear evidence that the Central European space ecosystem is growing, and that Spacemanic is one of its active builders and driving forces,” adds Mr. Kapuš.

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Space Weather Monitoring and Forecasting for the Whole World

The Prague-based company AdvaSpace is thinking along the same lines. In the future, it aims to provide global forecasting services for space weather. Modern society depends on satellites that provide navigation, telecommunications, meteorology, and Earth observation. These systems, however, are continuously exposed to space radiation, which can cause electronics failures or shorten satellite lifetimes. AdvaSpace can determine the type, energy, direction, and time of arrival of each detected particle.

Using the satellite, the company will validate its MiniPIX SPACE detector in the orbit. The technology builds on the know-how of its sister company ADVACAM, which has been developing this technology for the past 13 years. Most recently, it’s Timepix chips were used aboard the Orion spacecraft, which this year flew around the Moon as part of NASA’s ARTEMIS II programme.

“We will, for example, look for characteristic patterns in how radiation evolves over time. Certain types of radiation may precede others, which in principle makes it possible to predict future conditions. It is comparable to weather here on Earth: drizzle, small raindrops, and rising wind can foreshadow a storm. In the same way, one type of radiation can be an early indicator of much more dramatic events to come in orbit,” adds Mr. Martin Tyburec, CEO of AdvaSpace.

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‍The Critical Phase Begins Immediately After Launch

The Faculty of Aeronautics of the Technical University of Košice will also contribute to satellite operations and data processing. Immediately after launch, the most important task will be to establish first contact with the spacecraft, verify the functionality of all systems, and begin regular operations of the scientific experiments.

“For us, MARINA is the beginning. Not the end. It is the first step toward Satellites With Meaning creating further missions that carry not only technical value, but also societal, commercial, and symbolic value. I would therefore like to thank to Mr. Boris Procík, the owner of the MARINA satellite, for his trust, courage, and visionary approach to the entire project. Without his personal commitment, energy, and willingness to embark on such a demanding mission, MARINA would not have come into being,” concludes Mr. Charley Hodossy.

Additional photos are available in the Press Kit here

For further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Satellites With Meaning:

Charley Hodossy, co-founder and CMO of Satellites With Meaning, +421 905 045 400, charley@satwm.space  

Spacemanic:

Jakub Kapuš, Founder & CEO of Spacemanic, +420 733 663 792, jakub.kapus@spacemanic.com  

AdvaSpace:

Martin Tyburec, CEO of AdvaSpace, +420 732 670 960, martin.tyburec@advaspace.com  

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About the Companies

Satellites With Meaning s.r.o.

A Slovak company specializing in the design and management of space missions. It was founded by Boris Procík and Charley Hodossy. The company was established with the ambition to create meaningful CubeSat missions that connect space technologies, science, a strong story, and commercial applications. SWM builds on the experience and legacy of the VERONIKA satellite, one of the first prominent private satellite projects in the region, and further develops this experience through the MARINA mission. MARINA is the first reference mission of Satellites With Meaning. It provides practical proof that a professionally managed space mission with international partners, a scientific payload, and clear communication and societal impact can originate even in Slovakia. SWM’s goal is to organize further missions that are not merely technical hardware in orbit, but carry concrete meaning for companies, institutions, research, and the public.

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Spacemanic  

www.spacemanic.com

A Czech space company that develops satellite platforms, onboard subsystems, and technical solutions for small and medium-sized satellites. It helps transform scientific, technological, and commercial objectives into real space missions, from design and integration through testing, launch, and support for operations in orbit. The company’s long-term ambition is to build a reliable and efficient pathway to space and gradually expand its capabilities toward larger spacecraft, repeatable platforms, and data services from orbit.

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AdvaSpace  

www.advaspace.com

The company specializes in space radiation monitoring. It delivers hardware and software solutions for obtaining precise radiation data for all types of space missions. It uses advanced detectors combined with proprietary software for advanced data processing, particle trajectory tracking, and particle identification. AdvaSpace is a member of the Czech technology group AdVisiones Technologies.

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