2025 IAF Excellence in Industry Award

The IAF Excellence in Industry Award is intended to distinguish commercial industry organizations, members or non-members of the IAF, worldwide for introducing innovative space technologies to the global marketplace and are recognized throughout space industry for successfully executing landmark space missions.

The IAF Excellence in Industry Award 2025 is bestowed to:

OHB System AG is the largest subsidiary of the German space and technology group OHB SE and one of the three leading providers of space systems in Europe. Headquartered in Bremen and with a second strong site in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich, OHB System AG has more than 40 years of experience in the development of high-tech solutions for space missions and other applications. The company's activities focus on the development of satellite systems for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunication, science, and reconnaissance and are supplemented by the conception and realization of equipment for crewed space flight. We.Create.Space.

The IAF Excellence in Industry Award 2025 – Small & Medium Category is bestowed to:

D-Orbit is a market leader in the space logistics and transportation services industry with a track record of space-proven services, technologies, and successful missions.
Founded in 2011, D-Orbit is the first company addressing the logistics needs of the space market. ION Satellite Carrier, for example, is a space vehicle that can transport satellites in orbit and release them individually into distinct orbital slots, reducing the time from launch to operations by up to 85% and the launch costs of an entire satellite constellation by up to 40%. ION can also accommodate multiple third-party payloads like innovative technologies developed by startups, experiments from research entities, and instruments from space companies requiring a test in orbit. Finally, ION can also be rented for edge computing applications and space cloud services to provide satellite operators with storage capacity and advanced computing capabilities in orbit. D-Orbit's roadmap includes becoming a relevant player in the in-orbit servicing market, which is forecasted to become one of the largest, growing markets within the space sector.
In April 2025, the company announced a strategic business combination with the Planetek group to integrate new capabilities in cloud-based space applications, AI-powered data processing in orbit, and near real-time data services.
With offices in Italy, Portugal, Greece, the UK, and an experienced US team focused on bus design, manufacturing, and commercialization, D-Orbit is the world's first certified B-Corp space company and a registered benefit corporation.