Lithuania-based smallsat maker NanoAvionics has partnered with Polish synthetic aperture radar (SAR) developer Eycore to build a demo spy satellite for European defense forces.
The satellite, expected to launch in early 2026, will deliver radar imagery with submeter resolution that can reveal movements on the ground day and night, and in all weather conditions.
The two Eastern European companies hope the mission will pave the way for a sovereign, military-grade SAR constellation offering global coverage and frequent revisits for NATO and European state militaries.
Why does it matter? EO satellites, including SAR, have been indispensable in the war in Ukraine, helping to monitor troop movements and evaluate damage caused by attacks.
Except for the Finnish SAR operator ICEYE—which owns the world’s largest SAR constellation—Europe has only limited EO resources, making Ukraine largely dependent on US intelligence. Worsening relations with the Trump administration have spurred a wave of defense investment across Europe, with governments pushing for faster deployment of new assets.
The proximity to the conflict in Ukraine, as well as to Russia’s borders, makes countries like Poland and Lithuania particularly invested in the defense efforts—and Poland is now the largest per capita defense spender in NATO.
“Across Europe we are seeing rising demand for domestically controlled, all-weather Earth observation,” NanoAvionics CEO Atle Wøllo said in a statement. “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.”
Meet the team: NanoAvionics, founded in 2014 as a spin-off from Vilnius University, was acquired in 2022 by Norwegian technology group Kongsberg. The firm manufactures small sats up to 200kg, and has delivered around 120 missions for customers since its inception. The partnership with Eycore positions the sat manufacturer as a key strategic player in the field, at a time of rising security concerns across Eastern Europe.
“Our mission is to ensure trusted, sovereign access to earth observation data for defense users, underpinned by our decades of radar expertise and focus on operational resilience,” Maciej Klemm, cofounder and CEO of Eycore, said in the statement.
Eycore is also part of a consortium developing a domestic EO program for the Polish government.
