From Industrial Data to Space Launch Operations: Iterative Engineering at ESA & CSG Industry Days 2026
From the outside, the space industry can look like a closed circle. Yet, this autumn, Iterative Engineering had the privilege of stepping onto the stage at the European Space Agency (ESA) Headquarters in Paris to present a digital transformation project implemented at Europe’s Spaceport.
This milestone was the culmination of an intense and highly productive month in the heart of the European space sector, which began with high-level B2B networking at ESA Industry Space Days in Noordwijk. Here is an inside look at our journey, the technical challenges we are solving, and the future of ground operations.
Taking the Stage at ESA Headquarters: A CSG Success Story
Paris, France | CSG Industry Days 2026
Entering the space sector as a software house traditionally focused on industrial engineering requires determination, the ability to meet extremely high-quality standards, and the right partners. At the CSG Industry Days in Paris, our CEO, Krzysztof Gąsior, and CTO, Paweł Grzywocz, were invited by ESA and CNES to share exactly how that transition happened during our session: “A CSG Success Story: Iterative Engineering.”
The core of our presentation focused on the LaunchReady project - a system developed to support payload preparation during launch campaigns at the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in Kourou. We detailed the realities of designing software where operational processes, critical infrastructure, and strict technical requirements are tightly intertwined.
In the video below, Krzysztof explains the challenges we faced navigating highly formal proposal processes, building trust without an established local network in French Guiana, and what it took to move from first conversations to a deployed system.
The Momentum of Europe’s Spaceport
The presentation itself - delivered to spaceport professionals and industry leaders - marked a historic moment for our team. But beyond our own success story, the overarching theme of the CSG Industry Days was clear: the vision for Kourou is bold, ambitious, and gaining momentum fast.
CTO Paweł Grzywocz and CEO Krzysztof Gąsior presenting “A CSG Success Story” on the main stage at ESA HQ
Credit: Image courtesy of European Space Agency - ESA
New activities in Kourou are driving major business opportunities. As our team summarized right after the event, delivering key operational expertise to support the future of spaceflight relies heavily on finding the right technological partners.
(For our French-speaking partners, you can also catch Paweł’s special invitation and thoughts on the event in French here).
The Big Picture: The Launcher Race and Smarter Ground Systems
Why is the digitalization of spaceports so critical right now? The global launch race is accelerating at an unprecedented pace. With the United States recording 181 orbital and near-orbital launch attempts in 2025 and targeting even greater launch capacity by 2030, the rest of the industry cannot afford to stand still.
Europe has tremendous strengths to build on, but keeping up with this cadence requires optimization at every level. While rockets and satellites usually get the most attention, the bottleneck often lies on the ground. At Iterative Engineering, we believe that launch pace can be significantly improved with smarter, data-driven ground systems.
Flashback to Noordwijk: Building the Foundation at ISD 2026
Noordwijk, The Netherlands | ESA Industry Space Days 2026
The conversations that culminated in Paris began two weeks earlier in Noordwijk, at the ESTEC facility. With more than 3,100 participants, 1,500 companies, and over 10,000 face-to-face meetings, this year’s ESA Industry Space Days was the biggest B2B space event to date.
Networking at ESA Industry Space Days 2026
Credit: Photo by Tomasz Pac / Iterative Engineering
Connecting Industries: From Oil & Gas to Space
By analyzing the architecture of spaceports, we quickly realized one crucial thing. Complex data problems in the space sector often look surprisingly similar to those in other heavy industries.
As Paweł Grzywocz pointed out during the event, we have successfully taken our experience from integrating massive data ecosystems in the oil and gas industry and applied it to space launch operations. Untangling data complexity is a universal engineering challenge.
The Power of European Consortia
ISD 2026 reinforced a crucial business reality: Europe competes in a global space market where the US and China are moving at an enormous scale. Strong technology is essential, but the ability to bring specialized companies together is what actually wins contracts and executes international projects. The European space industry thrives when companies combine their specialized expertise rather than trying to build everything in-house.
(Note: Our time in Noordwijk wasn’t strictly limited to B2B meetings. We also had the chance to explore some of the rich history of European spaceflight at the local Space Museum - keep an eye out for a dedicated video walkthrough coming soon!)
What’s Next? Deep Dives into Space Tech
The insights gathered from both ESTEC and ESA Headquarters go far beyond high-level networking. Soon, we will be sharing our key takeaways from these events, highlighting our team’s broader observations on the European space sector following our time in Paris and Noordwijk.
If you are working on data integration, payload preparation software, or the digital transformation of ground operations, we want to hear from you.
Looking for a specialized software partner to digitalize your ground segment operations?
Book a B2B Meeting with our CEO
Hero image: Arriving at ESA Headquarters: Iterative Engineering CEO and CTO on the morning of CSG Industry Days.
Credit: Photo by Tomasz Pac / Iterative Engineering
