Appointment: Kevin Rutankabandi - Space Program Manager
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Kevin Rutankabandi takes the reins of Wheere's space program
Wheere has taken a decisive step forward in its development: Kevin Rutankabandi joins the company as Space Program Manager, a key role in orchestrating the launch of its ambitious space program. This Franco-Belgian engineer, a graduate of the Faculté Polytechnique de Mons and ISAE-SUPAERO, brings to Wheere his in-depth expertise in GNSS systems. After eight years with Thales Alenia Space, he played a central role in the development of the European Galileo system. His arrival marks a strategic turning point for Wheere, as the company moves from a disruptive terrestrial technology to an orbital extension of its indoor geolocation solution.
A three-stage roadmap for the LEO PNT constellation
The space program piloted by Kevin Rutankabandi is based on a progressive scheme, organized in three phases up to 2030:
Phase 1 - IOV (Q4 2026): launch of a first test satellite to validate the performance of Wheere technology in an ionospheric environment.
Phase 2 - IOD (Q3 2028): launch of five satellites to demonstrate the ability to precisely locate indoor objects via signals transmitted from space.
Phase 3 - IOC (2030): deployment of a constellation of 300 micro-satellites to establish a global indoor positioning service from low Earth orbit (LEO PNT).
Kevin Rutankabandi, catalyst for sovereign ambition
With this program, Kevin Rutankabandi is not simply following in the footsteps of GPS or Galileo. It's a new frontier: transposing the precision and universality of GPS to the interior of buildings.
"The Galileo program has been an exciting adventure. Wheere's ambition goes even further: this time, it places us in a pioneering position. It's no longer a question of catching up, but of taking a decisive lead. Giving France and Europe a head start in indoor geolocation from space is an exceptional strategic opportunity - and I'm proud to be part of it." Kévin Rutankabandi - Space Program Manager at Wheere
From earth to space: the logical extension of Wheere technology
Since its creation in 2020, Wheere has been pushing back the boundaries of indoor geolocation. Its proprietary technology penetrates up to 50 meters of concrete, locates with metric precision and requires just four transmitters to cover a one-square-kilometer site. After raising €11 million in 2023, the company is changing scale with this move into low-Earth orbit.
By integrating a spatial dimension, Wheere strengthens its position as a sovereign player in the geolocation of the future, a strategic field where few European deeptech companies dare to compete with American or Asian giants.
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