Delivering Constellation-Scale Reliability: FOSSA Systems on Partnering With SEOPS
FOSSA Systems, headquartered in Madrid and Lisbon, is on a mission to democratize space-enabled IoT. Founded five years ago by CEO Julián Fernández, the company is deploying an 80-satellite CubeSat constellation designed to make IoT connectivity accessible, interoperable, and globally available. Their pay-per-message SaaS model serves customers across logistics, oil and gas, agriculture, livestock, utilities, energy, construction, and defense. For organizations needing deeper control, FOSSA also designs and deploys dedicated satellites and constellations for IoT, RF, and other payloads.
Built entirely in-house, the small satellites have a massive impact, and rapid access to orbit is essential to keeping the constellation on schedule. With spacecraft that are an order of magnitude cheaper and faster to deploy than traditional microsats, FOSSA’s growth depends on one thing: frequent, reliable launch opportunities. That’s where SEOPS has become a critical partner.
“Launch is a big part of our value proposition— and that’s why SEOPS is essential.”
— Julián Fernández, CEO, FOSSA Systems
FOSSA’s cubesat architecture allows the company to iterate and deploy at a pace unmatched by larger satellite operators. But as global demand for rideshare missions grows—and with Transporter and Bandwagon missions often filling fast—flexible, resilient launch access is becoming harder to secure.
“Going forward, we’re going to need many launches a year,” explains Fernández. “SpaceX is extremely reliable, but capacity is limited and orbits can be constrained. Add the geopolitical environment, and it becomes clear you need a larger pool of launch providers. The catch is that more launch vehicles can mean more complexity.”
SEOPS removes that complexity entirely.
“With SEOPS, we get centralized communication and one team that knows us and our needs—regardless of what vehicle is flying. That saves time, and time is everything for us.”
Flexibility for a Fast-Moving Startup
FOSSA’s latest CubeSat is the 24th of the company’s ambitious 80-satellite constellation.
Although FOSSA strives to book missions 12 months in advance, the speed of their internal engineering cycle—and the realities of a dynamic geopolitical environment—mean timelines sometimes shift.
“In a couple of recent missions, we needed to book with far less notice than planned,” says Fernández. “SEOPS always found a way. They never made us feel like we were asking for the impossible.”
A Defining $500k Moment: When SEOPS Went Above and Beyond
In June 2025, while preparing its CubeSat for SpaceX Transporter-14, FOSSA encountered an unexpected technical issue. The delay meant the satellite wouldn’t make the scheduled shipping deadline for integration—a miss that could cost the company half a million dollars and break a critical customer commitment.
“We were off by a couple of days,” Fernández recalls. The team scrambled, and shipped the spacecraft at the last minute. SEOPS then worked to secure an integration extension pushing to the final encapsulation day.
“They just made it happen. No other launch services provider would’ve done that. Anyone else would’ve told us, ‘Sorry, you missed the window—wait for the next mission.’”
The satellite launched on time.
“And this was for a 3U CubeSat—not some huge flagship payload. SEOPS puts in extraordinary effort. They treat us like a priority, not just another name on a manifest. That level of dedication is rare in this industry.”
Guaranteed Advocacy When It Counts
Beyond crisis moments, Fernández consistently sees SEOPS standing up for FOSSA on issues that other brokers ignore.
“With some brokers, you’re not their priority. If you need a test waiver, a special accommodation, or help securing a specific integration requirement, you’re on your own. With SEOPS, they advocate for you—even with SpaceX. They always had our back.”
A Long-Term Partnership for Constellation Growth
As FOSSA accelerates toward its 80-satellite goal, SEOPS has become the backbone of its launch strategy.
“We plan to launch many times per year, and between SEOPS and their partners, we know we’ll always find a solution. From pricing, to mission availability, to the quality of the team—SEOPS is unmatched.”
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“If you don’t want to worry about your launch, SEOPS is the partner you want. We’re very happy with the service we’ve received—and proud to be a repeat customer.”
— Julián Fernández
