From Star Tracking to Space Debris Detection - Arcsec's DeDUST Innovation | EP 64 | Germán Castro

In this episode of Satellite, Space & Defence Matters, brought to you by neuco, hosts Millie Hall and Laurie Scott are joined by Germán Castro, Head of Growth at Arcsec, a Belgian company developing high-accuracy Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS) for small satellites and CubeSats.

Germán shares how he entered the space industry from a commercial background and helped transform Arcsec from a university spin-out into a rapidly scaling commercial business. The discussion explores why ADCS is one of the most fundamental yet overlooked technologies aboard modern spacecraft, before diving into DeDUST—Arcsec's innovative approach to turning existing star tracker data into a powerful tool for detecting orbital debris and improving Space Situational Awareness.

The conversation also examines Europe's growing NewSpace ecosystem, the importance of customer-first engineering in deep-tech businesses, how startups balance research with commercial delivery, and the advice Germán would give anyone looking to build a career in the space industry.

Key topics covered

• Germán's journey from economics and business strategy into the commercial space industry
• Why Arcsec transitioned from a university research startup into a customer-focused commercial company
• Why Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS) are fundamental to every modern satellite mission
• How star trackers allow spacecraft to determine their precise orientation in orbit
• The coffee conversation that inspired Arcsec's DeDUST technology
• Turning discarded star tracker data into valuable Space Situational Awareness information
• Why orbital debris, collision avoidance and space sustainability are becoming mission-critical
• The challenges facing Europe's fragmented NewSpace ecosystem
• Building a commercial culture inside a highly technical engineering business
• Why investing in customer relationships has become one of Arcsec's biggest differentiators
• How startup hiring evolves as companies move from research to product delivery
• Germán's advice for graduates and professionals looking to enter the space industry

Guest bio

Germán Castro – Head of Growth, Arcsec

With a background spanning economics, operations, business strategy and commercial leadership, Germán Castro joined Arcsec during a pivotal stage of the company's growth, helping transform the business from a university research spin-out into a commercially focused NewSpace company. As Head of Growth, he leads Arcsec's commercial strategy, customer engagement and business development, bridging the gap between highly technical engineering teams and the growing global market for satellite attitude determination and space situational awareness technologies.