Mission control center supports HummingSat launches with digital twin and electric orbit-raising

by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 10, 2025

SWISSto12 has detailed the mission control operations for its geostationary satellite, HummingSat. The company's Command-and-Control Center in Athens, Georgia, facilitates launch, orbit raising, and in-orbit testing prior to customer handover. SWISSto12 plans an additional redundant Mission Control capability in Europe.

Since opening, the Georgia center has incorporated mission control systems with software meeting redundancy and resilience standards for continuous operational availability. This technology forms the backbone for upcoming HummingSat missions. The command and control platform lets operators simulate the full mission, rehearse anomaly responses, and verify satellite performance through an integrated digital twin.

"Our Command-and-Control Center is the heart of our HummingSat operations," said Joe Zaborek, Head of HummingSat Ground Products at SWISSto12. "The integration of digital twin technology allows us to simulate every phase of the mission on the ground, rehearse responses to anomalies, and ensure the satellite performs exactly as expected - giving both our team and customers confidence during deployment."

The center uses a digital twin to create a synchronized virtual model, enabling simulation and verification of mission activities, command sequences, and response to off-nominal events. This approach allows operators to oversee each spacecraft's performance throughout its operational life.

SWISSto12's facility also supports all-electric orbit raising (EOR), using ionized xenon for fuel efficiency and station-keeping. Customers retain sovereignty over their satellites through independent control, real-time mission rehearsals, telemetry monitoring, and technical support from SWISSto12.

Collaboration with local engineering talent is facilitated by the center's proximity to research universities, supporting capacity expansion as the company prepares for the first HummingSat deployments in 2027.

The mission control serves the launch and orbit raising of HummingSat, a geostationary satellite roughly the size of an industrial washing machine and weighing approximately 1,000 kilograms. HummingSat's reduced form factor delivers cost-effective production and launch options.

SWISSto12 technology, including additive manufacturing and advanced RF systems, enhances payload performance and streamlines satellite production.

"From design to operations, our goal is to make advanced satellite capability accessible and sovereign for our customers" said Emile de Rijk, CEO of SWISSto12. "Our mission control center strengthens that vision by giving our customers the infrastructure and expertise they need to support them in managing their own missions confidently and independently."