Start-1 is a Russian satellite launch vehicle based on the RT-2PM Topol, a Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile developed by Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology.

The Start-1 launch vehicle derives its name from the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) between the United States and the Soviet Union. 

The Start-1 rocket is unique amongst launch vehicles in that its launch platform is mobile, allowing for the Start-1 to potentially launch from anywhere. The Start-1 launches from an unmodified Topol Transporter-Erector-Launcher (TEL). The TEL is a massive fourteen-wheeled vehicle, six of which pivot for steering. The launch vehicle is transported and launched inside a mobile Transport and Launch Carrier (TLC) carried by the TEL. The TLC consists of an air-tight composite cylinder that protects the launch vehicle and payload from variations in temperature and humidity. The TLC lays in the middle of the TEL lengthwise and bisects the driver's cab in two.

A version of the Start-1 rocket, simply called Start, was developed in parallel with the Start-1 program. Start differed from Start-1 by using the second stage of the Start-1 twice, giving it a total of five stages. With the extra stage, payload to LEO was increased to 850 kg. 

ONERA is a French aerospace research center.

It is a public establishment with industrial and commercial operations, and carries out application-oriented research to support enhanced innovation and competitiveness in the aerospace and defense sectors. ONERA is an acronym for Office National d'Études et de Recherches Aérospatiales.

Since January 2007 Onera was dubbed “The French Aerospace Lab” to enhance its international visibility, and also adopted a brand baseline, “Return on Innovation”.

Onera carries out a wide range of research for space agencies, as well as for the French defense procurement agency, DGA. Onera also independently conducts its own long-term research to anticipate future technology needs. It focuses on scientific research, for example in aerodynamics for concrete applications on aircraft, the design of launchers and new defense technologies, such as drones (unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)).

Onera also uses its research and innovation capabilities to support both French and European industry. Onera’s customer-partners include EADS (Airbus, Eurocopter), Safran (Snecma, Turbomeca, Sagem), Dassault Aviation, Thalesand other major industry players. Innovative small businesses are also encouraged to call on the expertise of Onera’s scientists and engineers, and to take advantage of technology transfer opportunities.

Onera has contributed to a number of landmark aerospace and defense programs in recent decades, including Airbus, Ariane, Rafale, Falcon, Mirage and Concorde.

Critical Software is a Portuguese information systems and software company, headquartered in Coimbra (Portugal).

It is a spin-off from the University of Coimbra's business incubator and technology transfer centre Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN). The company was established in 1998 in Coimbra, Portugal, its headquarters. It has offices in Porto and Lisbon (Portugal) and subsidiaries around the world in Southampton (United Kingdom), San Jose (United States), Bucharest (Romania), São José dos Campos (Brazil), Maputo (Mozambique) and other locations.

Critical Software has participated in Earth observation related projects of the European Space Agency, such as the prevention and mitigation of forest fires, ocean monitoring and research on complex climate systems.

Liège Space Center (French: Centre spatial de Liège, CSL) is a research center of the University of Liège in Belgium. It holds a hundred people, half of whom are engineers and scientists. The activities of the CSL are specialized in optics, space technologies and space environment testing.

The activity of the Liège Space Centre is focused on three areas: 

• It is a test centre for certifying optical space equipment and payloads before they are put into orbit. Vibration, optical, thermal and even cryogenic tests are conducted in thermal environments of up to -270°C, i.e. 3 degrees above absolute zero.
• It designs, develops and certifies scientific space instruments. These optical instruments are designed to enable unique scientific observations and use the latest advances in technology.
• New technology development activities are performed on the one hand as a support service to the other space activities of the Liège Space Centre, and on the other hand within the scope of non-space regional or European projects.

The Liège Space Centre therefore brings together many specialists: opticians, mechanics, heat engineers, physicists, specialists in micro-manufacturing, as well as electronics specialists. They work in direct cooperation with the university’s laboratories, but also with major European centres such as the European Space Agency, astrophysics laboratories and technology centres. The Liège Space Centre also works in collaboration with non-space industries at regional and European level, where its skills are used for a wide range of applications such as micro-manufacturing, optical coatings, solar energy, etc.

Spacenet Inc. is a provider of VSAT satellite-based data network services as well as hybrid satellite/terrestrial networks and network management services. Spacenet is headquartered in Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1981 (as "Southern Pacific Communications Corporation" - SPCC).

Spacenet's primary business is providing VSAT and hybrid/terrestrial data network services to government and enterprise customers under the Connexstar brand. Spacenet's enterprise/government VSAT services are used for a wide range of applications such as primary broadband or narrowband networks, disaster recovery/backup networks and multicast file delivery. 

Spaceflight was founded in 2009 to address the emerging market for a launch services provider dedicated to the small and secondary payload market.

Spaceflight’s model allows payloads to be rapidly manifested, certified, integrated and flown to space by providing a single one-stop shop that manifests and integrates payloads for a range of emerging launch and space transportation vehicles, maximizing flight opportunities, at published commercial pricing. 

Spaceflight has established partnerships with prominent launch vehicle providers such as SpaceX, Orbital Sciences and Virgin Galactic as well as other key firms such as ISL Space Solutions, Moog/CSA, and Spaceflight’s sister company Andrews Space to help develop innovative solutions to meet government and commercial customers’ space transportation needs. Spaceflight has launch contracts to fly secondary payloads on the Orbital Antares, SpaceX Falcon 9, and Russian Soyuz and Dnepr vehicles.

Strategic Space Development provides business consulting, strategic planning, knowledge management, competitive intelligence, program management and engineering services to aerospace and high tech industries.

Strategic Space Development support the defense, civil and commercial space industries in the development of new space concepts, program management, new business capture strategy, should cost and price to win analyses, and developing business growth strategies. 

The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (国立天文台 kokuritsu tenmondai) (NAOJ) is an astronomical research organisation comprising several facilities in Japan, as well as an observatory in Hawaii. It was established in 1988 as an amalgamation of three existing research organizations - the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory of the University of Tokyo, International Latitude Observatory of Mizusawa, and a part of Research Institute of Atmospherics of Nagoya University.

In 2004, after the Japan reform of national research organizations, NAOJ became a division of the National Institutes of Natural Sciences.

Aurora Max is a project who shows auroras of Yellowknife (Northwest Territories, Canada). This project allows to amateur astronomers to watch auroras until the solar maximum, in 2013. Aurora Max is available only in French and in English.

 Amateur astronomers can see auroras online and live here, from the Observatory of Aurora Max.

This is in collaboration with the University of Calgary, the Canadian Space Agency, the society Astronomy North and the city of Yellowknife.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) (French: Agence spatiale canadienne (ASC)) is the Canadian government space agency responsible for Canada's space program. It was established in March 1989 by the Canadian Space Agency Act. 

The headquarters of the CSA is located at John H. Chapman Space Centre in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. The agency also has offices in Ottawa, Ontario at the David Florida Laboratory and small liaison offices in Washington, D.C.; Paris; Cape Canaveral, Florida; and Houston, Texas.