Portrait of the month: at the heart of Luxembourg's space expansion with Virgil

Maëlle Pintoavatar

Published on 29/01/2025, by Maëlle Pinto

Virgil ingénieur mécatronique spatial Luxembourg

Virgil, a mechatronics engineer specialising in the space industry, saw his career take off thanks to Luxembourg. After gaining experience abroad, he returned to his home region to contribute in the development of this fast-growing sector. His missions combine technical rigour with a tangible impact on society. Find out more about his career, his projects and his views on the future of the space industry in Luxembourg.



A passion born under the stars


Virgil, originally from Longwy, grew up in a trinational environment between France, Belgium and Luxembourg. From a young age, his gaze was drawn to the sky: "When I was younger, I really enjoyed observing the stars and planets, and learning more about them". His passion for engineering soon followed, driven by a desire to understand, build, and solve real-world problems.


After starting his engineering studies at the University of Luxembourg, Virgil specialised in mechatronics at the Louvain School of Engineering. A field at the crossroads of mechanics, electronics and computer science, which was to open up new perspectives. Virgil then had to choose between two sectors that attracted him: biomedical and space. Ultimately, his inner geek led him to space. "I applied to several places, and it was finally thanks to the ESA programme that my career began", he explains. Luxembourg, with its space investment project, marked the start of his adventure.




A career at the crossroads of engineering and exploration


Virgil launched his career through ESA (European Space Agency) Graduate Trainee programme in the Netherlands, a highly selective programme that enabled him to work alongside an international team of experts.


"You meet all these brilliant people, and at first, you feel like an imposter," he recalls with a laugh.


Rather than being discouraged, Virgil pushed himself to rise to the challenge. In particular, he was able to work on projects that were as technical as they were exciting, such as the development of JUICE, a mission exploring Jupiter's moons to detect water and signs of life.


This experience marked the start of an international career. He continued his path in Switzerland, where he took part in "more directly impactful" projects, before returning to Luxembourg. His decision to come back was motivated by the desire to start a family in a more "family-friendly" country and to contribute to the local space industry's growth.


"My career began thanks to Luxembourg and the ESA programme. They invested in me, so it made sense to return."


Today, he works for GOMSpace, where he plays a key role in the design, assembly and testing of satellites for various missions. This position blends technical complexity with collaboration, making his daily work both stimulating and rewarding.



A profession balancing technical achievements and societal Impact


As a mechatronics engineer, Virgil works on projects that are both exciting and meaningful. His role? To design, assemble and test satellites for a wide range of missions, from Earth observation to space exploration. These projects, which span several months or years, require rigorous organisation.


"Having a job that helps society makes you want to get up in the morning."


Each mission follows three main stages. First, the design and calculation phase: will the satellite withstand the extreme conditions of space, such as vibrations or temperature variations? This phase requires significant teamwork and client collaboration. Next comes assembly, where everything starts with a prototype that undergoes extensive testing to ensure robustness before final production. Finally, the most critical phase is testing: the satellites are subjected to vibrations and shocks that simulate the extreme conditions of launch and space.


"For 2-3 weeks, we don't sleep, we stress," admits Virgil. "You think to yourself: my whole career is riding on this. I hope it goes well."


These tests, often conducted abroad, such as at the Airbus centre in Toulouse, ensure that every component of the satellite works perfectly. Even if a small percentage of failures remain, these rare incidents make it possible to adjust details, such as adding screws or improving insulation, before restarting the process.


And while we often associate space exploration with spectacular missions, Virgil highlights its practical benefits:


"We often see the cool projects on TV, but that only accounts for 5% of missions. Most of our work has direct, real-world utility."


Satellites are used, for example, to improve GPS accuracy, measure CO2 emissions or monitor natural disasters.





Luxembourg’s space industry: a thriving sector


Although Luxembourg is now a key player in the space sector, this was not always the case. In 2016, the government launched the SpaceResources.lu initiative, aimed at developing an ecosystem around the exploitation of space resources. This initiative allowed talents like Virgil to kickstart their careers.


Today, the country has more than 80 companies in this field. Having witnessed this evolution firsthand, Virgil observes: "I'd even say there's more supply than demand." Luxembourg attracts many space companies and talent from all over the world.



Did you know? The Danish-Luxembourg company GOMSpace launched its own satellite to an asteroid, with the majority of the project led from Luxembourg.


On a global scale, the outlook is equally promising. According to a Morgan Stanley study, the space industry could reach $1 trillion by 2040. Luxembourg, thanks to its strategic position, intends to capture a significant share of this market.



Advice and inspiration for future generations


Virgil encourages the younger generation to explore careers in the space industry: "Be bold and know that it’s possible in Luxembourg". Contrary to popular belief, this field isn’t limited to engineers. "If you absolutely want to work in a space company, you can do it in any profession". The industry also recruits technicians, marketing specialists, project managers or HR specialists...


Find out about all the vacancies in the Luxembourg space industry on the space-agency.public.lu website.


Virgil also urges women to consider this field: "They belong here. Unfortunately, I haven't worked with many of them since I started my career". While he sees progress, he acknowledges that some women still face challenges in gaining respect.


Finally, he emphasises the importance of mastering English in this sector, unlike other fields in Luxembourg where multiple languages are often required (French, German, Luxembourgish). "I have colleagues from all over the world, not two share the same nationality". This diversity, he notes, represents Luxembourg very well.



The future of Luxembourg's space industry looks bright, and Virgil is a key player. Like his career, the sector continues to grow, offering new opportunities for talent and businesses. For Virgil, three words sum up his career: luck, hard work and passion.



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