SFL Missions 2025: A Year of Growth, New Contracts, and Technical Diversification

In 2025, SFL Missions achieved remarkable growth highlighted by a successful launch and new contracts for state-of-the-art small satellite missions. As a leading developer of low-cost, high-performance nano-, micro-, and small satellites, SFL Missions continued to build on its legacy and solidify its reputation in the NewSpace sector. The company delivered cutting-edge satellite platforms, secured significant contracts across commercial, academic, and government sectors, and contributed to scientific and environmental missions worldwide.

The year began with a strategic win in February, when SFL Missions was awarded acompetitive contract by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to conduct a conceptual design study for the HAWC (High-Altitude Aerosols, Water vapour, and Clouds) satellite mission, which will be a Canadian contribution to NASA’s future Atmosphere Observing System. This work will inform mission design for advanced atmospheric science with implications for climate and weather research.

In June, the company celebrated the successful launch and deployment of two GHGSat greenhouse gas monitoring microsatellites (GHGSat-C12 and C13) aboard a SpaceX Transporter mission. Built on the proven low-cost SFL NEMO platform, these satellites now contribute critical emissions data to GHGSat’s commercial efforts to report on surface sources of methane and other greenhouse gases.

Around the same time, SFL Missions was contracted by NUVIEW AG to support a pre-Phase A study from the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a high-resolution lunar mapping spacecraft called “Moonraker.”

Summer brought additional contracts and global impact. In July, the Norwegian Space Agency awarded SFL Missions a contract to develop the AISSat-4 nanosatellite, bolstering Norway’s maritime situational awareness network with enhanced ship-tracking via space-based AIS data.

By September, the company had secured a significant new engagement with defense and intelligence partner HawkEye 360 of the U.S. to supply spacecraft bus units for three new satellite clusters, totaling nine satellites, that will expand radio frequency (RF) detection and geolocation services. Developed under the SFL Missions Flex Production Program, these next-generation clusters will feature upgraded antenna and radio systems for improved in-orbit performance.

Unique in the aerospace industry and designed to support demanding NewSpace business models, the Flex Production Program enables scalable satellite manufacture and integration both at the SFL Missions Toronto facility and at partner locations, further empowering NewSpace innovation.

Also in September, SFL Missions was awarded a contract by the University of Alberta for development of the RADICALS small satellite to study the transport of space radiation into Earth’s atmosphere and its impact on climate. Built on the SFL DEFIANT bus, the RADiation Impacts on Climate and Atmospheric Loss Satellite (RADICALS) mission is being designed by a consortium of Canadian universities and SFL Missions, led by the University of Alberta, and funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Government of Alberta, and the Canadian Space Agency.

Late in the year, SFL Missions continued its support of environmental monitoring by being awarded a contract by GHGSat of Montreal to build two additional greenhouse gas monitoring satellites (GHGSat-C18 and C19), a testament to long-standing collaboration and trust in SFL Missions’ small satellite expertise.

Overall, 2025 was a year of strategic diversification, technological progress, and amplified global collaboration for SFL Missions — one that positions the company to continue delivering impactful small satellite solutions across climate science, national security, maritime safety, and beyond. The New Year – 2026 – looks to be equally successful for SFL Missions with 35 spacecraft under development.