Bremen/Betzdorf, August 27, 2026. ATHENE-1, a small satellite developed and built by OHB subsidiary LuxSpace in collaboration with the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, is on its way to Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. From there, it is scheduled for launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-18 mission in early October. Its departure from Bremen marks the start of the final phase of the launch campaign and the last preparations before liftoff.

ATHENE-1 is the centerpiece of the SeRANIS (Seamless Radio Access Networks for Internet of Space) research program, led by the University of the Bundeswehr Munich and funded by the Bundeswehr Center for Digitalization and Technology Research.

With a launch mass of approximately 400 kilograms, the satellite will be deployed into low Earth orbit (LEO), where it will serve as a technology demonstration and in-orbit test platform for fifteen scientific experiments. The mission focuses on next-generation technologies for satellite communications and networking, reconnaissance and sensing, navigation, as well as artificial intelligence and onboard data processing. These include technologies for detecting, locating, and mitigating interference, particularly to protect satellite-based navigation systems.

The objective of ATHENE-1 is not only to develop new technologies in the laboratory but also to demonstrate and validate them under real-world conditions in space together with future users. In this way, SeRANIS provides a versatile in-orbit testbed for future space capabilities, ranging from resilient communications and navigation to advanced signal and data processing and new applications for government and defense users.

The ATHENE-1 mission is based on LuxSpace's modular Triton-X Heavy small satellite platform combined with a multifunctional experimental payload developed by the University of the Bundeswehr Munich. OHB Orbital Access has been entrusted with managing the launch campaign.

“ATHENE-1 is an excellent example of successful collaboration between academia and industry,” said Marco Fuchs, CEO of OHB. “The mission will generate valuable insights for the advancement of satellite-based communication systems for both civilian and defense applications. We are proud that our Triton-X Heavy platform is making a significant contribution to this effort.”

Andreas Knopp, initiator and Program Manager of SeRANIS at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, added: “In space, the pace of innovation is critical. With SeRANIS, we are bringing together academia, start-ups, industry, and the Bundeswehr on an agile in-orbit test platform for the first time. This allows scientific discoveries to move more rapidly from the laboratory into practical applications, where they can be evaluated together with users and advanced in collaboration with start-ups and industry. Scientific ideas become proven technologies, and proven technologies become tangible capabilities for the Bundeswehr.”


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