diff --git a/data-access/engine/src/common/src/cutout.cpp b/data-access/engine/src/common/src/cutout.cpp
index 5fd4e5c485dc0d4d28020fa14c43d4e00988ee24..cb1eea55cf81c75dc4c634d6552bd97b78950f1e 100644
--- a/data-access/engine/src/common/src/cutout.cpp
+++ b/data-access/engine/src/common/src/cutout.cpp
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ string axistype2string(unsigned char cc)
       case 'b': return "BAND"; break;
       case 't': return "TIME"; break;
       case 'p': return "POL"; break;
+      case ' ': return "UNKNOWN"; break;
       default:
          throw invalid_argument(cc + " is not a valid axis type");
    }