Milan – “Energy is everything for a satellite: without energy, you don’t communicate, you don’t maneuver, you don’t observe.” This apparently obvious insight comes from Marco Sala, the young CEO and co-founder of Revolv Space, a startup founded in Delft (Netherlands) and Turin (Italy) in 2022, with an ambitious vision: “To give small satellites real superpowers.” However, within this consideration lies the fundamental space exploration challenge. In space, the energy needed to operate a satellite comes entirely from the Sun, and today, “smaller models are limited by the amount of energy available on board, while mission requirements have become increasingly demanding,” Sala explains.
Revolv Space provides a solution specifically in this sector: “We intervene in this bottleneck, increasing generation capacity and making missions more autonomous and high-performing.”
We spoke to the startup’s CEO about all this and how these technologies fit into the European defense and security landscape.
Eunews: Mr. Sala, what areas does the company specialize in?
Marco Sala: We specialize in designing, manufacturing, and testing power generation mechanisms and systems for small satellites, a fast-growing sector that is also increasingly strategic in areas such as defense and security. In particular, around SARA, our flagship product, we have developed an entire “power” ecosystem that includes solar panels and panel deployment systems. In jargon, they call a Solar Array Drive Assembly (SADA). This electromechanical system allows the solar panels on the satellites to automatically orient themselves toward the Sun, doubling the energy captured.
E: How is your business journey going?
M.S.: Although we have only been in business for two and a half years, and in a conservative, long-cycle industry, we already have active customers and demonstrate strong commercial traction and technical validity. In March 2025, we reached a milestone: our systems successfully flew aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-13 mission installed on satellites of one of our first customers. On the same occasion, we also launched our demonstration mission with SARA, taking our flagship product into orbit for the first time.
E: What role can the European industry play in realizing the new common defense plan?
M.S.: In this context, companies like Revolv Space represent a concrete example of how rapidly applying innovation to dual-use solutions is possible. Our company develops space technologies that address civil and security needs, promoting a resilient, independent, high-performing European industrial supply chain.
E: So, you are active in other technological areas besides defense and security. What synergies are there?
M.S.:Our current focus is geared primarily toward commercial operators, with applications ranging from Earth observation and telecommunications to scientific research and, more broadly, the space economy. The synergies between civilian and defense domains are increasingly evident: the same requirements for reliability, autonomy, and robustness needed in strategic contexts are also critical for complex commercial missions.
We do not see defense as opposed to civilian innovation, but it can be a technological accelerator and an opportunity to strengthen Europe’s industrial and energy sovereignty in space.
E: Let’s go back to talk in more detail about Revolv Space. Who are your customers? Where in the supply chain do you operate?
M.S.: Our customers are companies that develop and manufacture European and non-European satellites, space agencies, and commercial operators. We position ourselves at the subsystem level, providing turnkey power generation and management solutions essential to mission success.
E: How important is innovation to you?
M.S.: In the space sector, innovation is taken for granted, but turning it into reliable, affordable, and truly deployable solutions in space is anything but. For us, innovation means bringing to space real systems that solve real problems for those building satellites, reducing time and cost without compromising performance and reliability. In less than three years, we have gone from the first prototype to in-orbit qualification (TRL 9), positioning us as one of the very few players in Europe able to offer flight-tested space energy solutions designed to optimize the efficiency of solar panels.
E: How do you deal with the issue of sourcing raw materials?
M.S.: The space supply chain is complex and subject to geopolitical turmoil. So, we have begun to internalize the production of the most critical components, investing in Italian and European supply chains. This gives us greater control, quality, and responsiveness.
E: How important is it to invest in human resources? Do you have difficulty finding the right people?
M.S.: People are the engine of our innovation. We work with highly international and multidisciplinary teams. Finding talent in Italy is challenging, especially for technical-specialist profiles with space experience. That is why we collaborate with universities and research centers and are structuring internal continuing education and mentorship programs for new hires. In the space sector, the most valuable resource is not a patent or a plant; it is people’s skills, motivation, and commitment. It is on this foundation that we have built our early successes.
Investing in people is a strategic choice, not a luxury. In an industry where every detail can make the difference between success in orbit and failure, we aim to grow talent as carefully as we develop our products.
