Sitael, a company of the Apulian group Angel Investments (the holding led by Vito Pertosa), is pressing the accelerator.
On the occasion of SmallSat Europe 2026 in Amsterdam, the aerospace company from Mola di Bari announced a growth plan targeting 200 million euros in revenue by 2031, supported by over 150 million backlog and nine launches planned by 2030.
Today Sitael operates through two industrial hubs in Italy: Mola di Bari, with a state-of-the-art clean room and five satellites under simultaneous construction; and Pisa, where last July it inaugurated its new Smart Space Factory 4.0, a technological center for the production of electric propulsion systems destined for next-generation satellites.
“The plan fits into the new European space cycle, where secure communications, Earth observation, defense, and technological sovereignty require solid industrial capabilities,” the released statement indicates.
Furthermore, Sitael also confirms its positioning in European programs, reaffirming its intention to participate in the competitions related to Ers – European Resilience from Space and Iris2, as well as in future European governmental architectures dedicated to Earth observation.
All the details.
WHAT SITAEL DOES
To date, Sitael has completed 29 space missions. The combination of satellite platforms and proprietary electric propulsion allows it to stand out in the fields of satellite constellations, orbital management, space sustainability, and Very Low Earth Orbit missions. The company develops solutions based on the NextGen and Empyreum platforms and has also initiated with the European Space Agency (ESA) the concept of a propellantless Ram-ep thruster for operations in very low orbits.
Sitael has about 280 employees, with a net workforce growth of at least 10% annually. Additionally, it has eight satellites under construction, two platforms in development, thrusters in qualification, and a backlog exceeding 150 million euros.
THE PLAN’S FIGURES
Thus, the plan foresees revenues rising from the current approximately 60 million euros to about 200 million by 2031, with EBITDA expected to increase from 12% towards 25%. The pipeline includes nine launches between 2026/2027 and 2030: Platino 1, Eagle-1, five Iride satellites, Platino 2, and the ESA Scout HiBiDiS mission.
Indeed, the Apulian company is building for ESA the five largest and most powerful satellites of the Earth observation constellation Iride, each equipped with a hyperspectral sensor for environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, and the study of climate change effects.
PRIME CONTRACTOR OF THE ESA HIBIDIS MISSION
Regarding the ESA HiBiDiS mission, expected to launch in 2030, Sitael is the prime contractor while partners include Amos for the hyperspectral instrument, Vito and the University of Zurich for data processing and the scientific case. Dedicated to biodiversity study, the mission will contribute to the development of advanced tools for monitoring ecosystem sustainability and resilience, with particular attention to forest environments.
“HiBiDiS is more than a new contract,” explained the company’s CEO Chiara Pertosa. “It confirms our evolution towards a European mission company, capable of combining platform, payload, integration, data, and impact.”
THE COURSE SET BY CEO PERTOSA
Finally, according to Pertosa, “Europe is entering a new space cycle. Sitael is ready to industrialize it.” “For years we invested ahead of the market. Today the market is moving towards the capabilities we have built: plants, platforms, propulsion, missions, clients, and a clear growth trajectory.”
In parallel, the Apulian company has strengthened its internationalization path with the MoU signed with Eycore, a Polish SAR service provider, which recently launched its first synthetic aperture radar satellites. Therefore, the agreement aims to explore collaborations in high-potential areas, starting from Earth observation, SAR applications, and advanced satellite services.
“Our growth has been sustainable. What we have built is the result of many sacrifices and has laid solid foundations for what we intend to achieve in the near future,” concluded Pertosa.
