The Spanish Air and Space Force has signed an agreement with technology company GMV to install a satellite tracking antenna at Morón Air Base in Seville, strengthening Spain’s national space surveillance capabilities.
The agreement, signed on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, will see the deployment of a Focusear system antenna dedicated to tracking satellites, particularly in geostationary orbit. The installation is intended to enhance the operational capacity of the Space Operations and Surveillance Center (COVE), part of the Spanish Space Command (MESPA).
Under the arrangement, COVE will also gain access to data generated by GMV’s Focusear system. This will complement the centre’s existing monitoring and control capabilities, including its Space Situational Awareness and Control System (CCSE), which was recently delivered by GMV and is based on the company’s Ecosstm software platform.
The antenna to be installed at Morón Air Base will operate as a passive radiofrequency receiving system, providing tracking data without emitting signals. Defence officials said the additional data source will improve Spain’s ability to monitor space objects and strengthen overall space domain awareness.
The signing ceremony was attended by senior representatives from the Spanish Air and Space Force and GMV, including Air General Francisco Braco Carbó, Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Force, and GMV CEO Jesús B. Serrano.
Spanish defence leadership described the agreement as a step toward consolidating national space sovereignty and improving the monitoring of space assets that support both military operations and civilian services.
The project reflects broader European efforts to expand independent space surveillance and tracking capabilities amid growing congestion and strategic competition in Earth orbit.
