Polish space-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payload provider Eycore and Lithuanian small-satellite manufacturer Kongsberg NanoAvionics announced on 31 July 2025 an agreement to place Eycore’s inaugural SAR demonstrator into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter rideshare mission in the first quarter of 2026.
The flight will test Eycore’s X-band radar on NanoAvionics’ flight-proven MP42 microsatellite bus, laying the groundwork for an all-European, military-grade SAR solution that provides governments with rapid, sovereign access to sub-metre, day/night, all-weather imagery.
The spacecraft will operate from a 510 km, sun-synchronous orbit. At the core of the mission is Eycore’s deployable active phased-array antenna consisting of five panels: one fixed and four unfolding in space to create a large aperture without compromising launch volume. NanoAvionics’ MP42 platform will provide the necessary peak power for the payload and data downlink, as well as the attitude control agility and stability required for various imaging modes for different imaging intelligence (IMINT) requirements: Stripmap for continuous swath coverage, Spotlight for sub-metre resolution of priority targets, and ScanSAR for very wide-area awareness. Together, these modes enable operators to seamlessly shift from border-length surveillance to vehicle-level inspection, ensuring relevance across intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), border security, maritime domain awareness, and rapid disaster response missions.
The companies have also been working in parallel on a satellite bus and next-generation payload, offering even higher resolution, wider swath, longer imaging times, higher incidence angle and other improvements.
“Partnering with a reliable bus provider like Kongsberg NanoAvionics lets us focus on perfecting our SAR technology while de-risking the platform, launch and operations,” Tomasz Kusowski, co-founder and vice president of the Eycore management board, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “This demonstrator is the springboard for high-performance European SAR satellites that will deliver tactical data for national security and defense applications,” he added.
Atle Wøllo, CEO of Kongsberg NanoAvionics, stated, “Across Europe we are seeing rising demand for domestically controlled, all-weather Earth observation. By combining our small satellites with Eycore’s sensors, we are giving governments a fast, cost-effective path to sovereign SAR capabilities that strengthen national security and resilience.”
