Austria selects R-Space to build second military satellite
R-Space · Austria Ministry of Defence
Austria's Ministry of Defence picked R-Space to build Aurora, a laser-comms and quantum-encryption demonstration satellite due in 2027.
what happened
Per Payload, Austria's Ministry of Defence selected R-Space as prime contractor for Aurora, the country's second military satellite, targeting a 2027 launch. Aurora will demonstrate space-to-ground laser communications and quantum-encryption technology, drawing on an Austrian Academy of Sciences quantum payload, ground stations from Quantum Technology Laboratories, and SSC Space ground-station links.
why it matters
R-Space CEO Carsten Scharlemann said Austria needs a communication system that cannot be jammed or intercepted; Aurora is one of three government-backed demonstration missions Austria plans to launch in 2027 to validate technology before committing to larger constellations, giving R-Space a sovereign European government reference customer.
for who
European sovereign-satcom and quantum-comms watchers
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- R-Space, Austria Ministry of Defence
- Category
- contract
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 2 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-07-02
- Published
- 2026-07-06 12:46 UTC