European partners advance sovereign defence space capability with BEACONSAT

Nations across the world are facing a growing and largely invisible threat: the disruption and manipulation of satellite navigation signals through jamming and spoofing. To address this challenge, Danish satellite manufacturer Space Inventor is partnering with Austrian propulsion specialist GATE Space on the BEACONSAT mission – Austria’s largest domestically developed satellite and the country’s first military satellite.

Space Inventor will deliver the complete satellite platform and core mission engineering required to bring the satellite safely into orbit and ensure long-term operational performance.

BEACONSAT, scheduled for launch in February 2027 is designed to detect and analyse interference with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), including jamming and spoofing.The mission directly addresses the growing security challenge often referred to as “navigation warfare” and contributes to European resilience, defence readiness and technological sovereignty.

Commissioned by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence and supported at European level through ESA’s Marketplace programme as a dual-use technology demonstration mission, BEACONSAT will provide critical data on GNSS interference to support both military and civilian situational awareness.

In addition to advancing GNSS intelligence capabilities, BEACONSAT will demonstrate an in-orbit chemical propulsion system developed by GATE Space. The Austrian company is responsible for the overall mission and is developing the satellite’s chemical propulsion system, thermal control system and structural subsystem.

Space Inventor is responsible for all satellite-related systems and mission engineering. The company has adapted its platform to accommodate propulsion components positioned externally in non-traditional configurations and has developed control algorithms capable of maintaining precise attitude control despite moving liquid mass within the spacecraft.

From a satellite engineering perspective, BEACONSAT presents significant technical challenges. Integrating a liquid-fuel propulsion system into a compact small satellite platform introduces complex dynamic and structural considerations.

Jan Smolders, Chief Commercial Officer, Space Inventor commented on the announcement: “Space-based infrastructure is fundamental to national security and strategic autonomy. BEACONSAT helps strengthen Europe’s ability to detect and respond to navigation interference - a threat that is growing in both scale and sophistication.

“Just as importantly, this mission proves that European industry has the capability to design, build and operate advanced defence space systems independently. BEACONSAT is a clear demonstration of sovereign European space capacity in action - operationally ready, technologically advanced and built in Europe for Europe.”

Space Inventor’s scope of work covers delivery of the complete satellite bus, including the onboard computer (OBC), attitude determination and control systems, reaction wheels, magnetorquers and power systems.Beyond the platform itself, the company is responsible for end-to-end system engineering and mission analysis, including orbital and performance calculations, as well as full mechanical and structural integration. This includes adapting the satellite design to accommodate GATE Space’s liquid-fuel thruster and tank within a highly constrained smallsat architecture, and providing mission operations support to ensure stable flight, precise orbital behaviour and long-term operational reliability.

The project underscores Space Inventor’s expanding role in European defence and security space missions. As European security increasingly depends on reliable, sovereign space capabilities, BEACONSAT demonstrates how European companies can jointly deliver advanced, operational space systems - from propulsion and payloads to complete satellite platforms.