Austria to launch first satellites for imaging, navigation in 2026
Austria will launch its first satellites dedicated to imaging, navigation and communications in 2026, aimed at enhancing the country’s space independence and providing clearer images and more accurate data than traditional satellites, WAM reports.
Austria’s plan involves building four satellites, three for operational use and one as a test unit, with a total cost of around €10 million. The launch of the first two satellites will take place under two separate projects, one in partnership with the Netherlands and the other a fully Austrian national initiative.
The first project, developed in cooperation with the Netherlands, is named LEO2VLEO, and will operate in a very low Earth orbit between 200 and 500 kilometres above ground, focusing on imaging and satellite navigation. The second project, BEACONSAT, developed by Austrian companies, features a small-sized satellite dedicated to navigation using satellite signals.
The first two Austrian satellites are expected to remain in operation for a period of three to five years.
Through these projects, Austria aims to run communication, navigation and imaging systems independently via its satellites, thereby reducing reliance on foreign infrastructure and achieving strategic space autonomy.
Claudia Tanner, Austria’s Minister of Defence, stressed the strategic importance of space, saying in a press statement that modern national defence in the 21st century requires independent access to space infrastructure.
Earlier, it was reported China launched a new group of low Earth orbit internet satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province last Sunday.
