Luxembourg’s Space Boom: How a Tiny Country Became a Satellite Powerhouse
Key Facts (2024–2025): Historical Development (1980s–2010s) Luxembourg’s space ambitions began in the mid-1980s. In 1985 the government launched SES (Société Européenne des Satellites), Europe’s first private satellite operator ses.com. SES’s inaugural Astra 1A satellite was launched in 1988, opening up direct-to-home TV across Europe ses.com. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s SES expanded globally, acquiring U.S. satellites and building a fleet that today covers most of the Earth ses.com ses.com. Luxembourg joined the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2005, cementing its role in Europe’s space efforts gouvernement.lu. However, for decades space in Luxembourg was largely limited to satcom and broadcasting. In
