Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Tomas Balog, Co-Founder & CEO of Space scAvengers, to discuss on-orbit servicing and space software platforms. Space scAvengers is building Proxima OS, a foundational operating system and simulation environment designed to enable autonomous, collaborative spacecraft operations. Balog outlines the emergence of the “on-orbit persistence economy,” the limitations of legacy space software infrastructure, and how Proxima OS—through its NextGen Twin and Hybrid Loop architecture—aims to reduce validation timelines, enable safe in-orbit upgrades, and unlock stranded asset value across satellite fleets.
00:00 – Introduction to Tomas Balog, Space scAvengers, and the concept of the on-orbit persistence economy.
01:30 – Defining the €28B+ opportunity: servicing, refueling, upgrading, and coordinating assets in orbit.
03:45 – The core problem: legacy space software built for single-mission, non-collaborative systems.
06:10 – Why current development cycles are inefficient: verification and validation consuming the majority of timelines.
08:40 – The concept of “stranded assets” and why satellites today cannot be upgraded post-launch.
11:20 – Introduction to Proxima OS as a foundational software layer for the space economy.
14:05 – The NextGen Twin: building a high-fidelity “flight simulator” for spacecraft development and AI training.
18:30 – How simulation-first development reduces risk, cost, and iteration time before launch.
22:15 – The Hybrid Loop architecture: linking simulation environments with live spacecraft in orbit.
26:40 – Enabling safe software updates and operational upgrades for deployed satellites.
30:10 – Product stack overview: Proxima OS platform, NextGen Twin services, and Satlytica.
34:20 – Satlytica and near-term SaaS opportunities in debris compliance and end-of-life automation.
38:00 – Customer segments: constellation operators, satellite manufacturers, and emerging in-orbit service providers.
42:10 – Competitive landscape and why software infrastructure may become the defining layer of the space economy.
47:30 – Long-term vision: building a “smart city in the sky” with autonomous, interoperable spacecraft systems.
52:00 – Closing thoughts: Space scAvengers as the enabling software backbone for persistent, upgradeable space infrastructure.
