Arcsec is participating as an optical sensor technology partner in ARGUS, a European mission led by GMV that will demonstrate space-domain and radio-frequency spectrum awareness from a distributed small-satellite constellation. The mission’s consolidation phase was formally kicked off on September 17, 2026, at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Madrid, where Enrique Fraga, GMV’s General Manager of Space Systems, signed the agreement. ARGUS forms part of the European Union’s IRIS² programme and marks a concrete step towards sovereign European capabilities for monitoring both the orbital environment and the radio spectrum.

What ARGUS does

ARGUS will fly up to five 16U CubeSats, each carrying two complementary payload types. Software-defined radio payloads detect and characterise radio-frequency interference, whether unintentional or deliberate. Optical sensors, derived from advanced star tracker technology, detect and track satellites, space objects and orbital debris.

The constellation uses a federated architecture that fuses data across the fleet with advanced on-board and ground processing, producing higher-value information products than any single satellite could provide alone. The platform is deliberately designed to accommodate future sensors and hosted payloads, allowing the architecture to grow into a broader European space-surveillance infrastructure over time.

Why it matters

European critical infrastructure (from secure government communications and civil navigation to maritime services and emergency response) depends on reliable access to orbit and to the radio spectrum. Both environments are becoming more congested and more contested. Spectrum interference, intentional or not, can disrupt services on the ground. Rapidly growing populations of satellites and debris in low Earth orbit create collision risks and uncertainty for mission planners.

Historically, Europe has relied on partners for much of this awareness. ARGUS is one of the first operational-grade steps towards a European-built capability that is sovereign, continuous, and designed from the outset to feed into the EU’s wider secure-connectivity infrastructure.

Place in the IRIS² programme

ARGUS is being delivered under the IRIS² Low-LEO Pre-Operational and De-Risk Activities, within the European Space Agency’s Programme related to EU Secure Connectivity. In practice, ARGUS acts as a pre-operational demonstrator: it validates the technologies, concepts of operations, and architectural choices that will inform the governmental services within the operational IRIS² constellation later this decade.

The programme emphasises rapid deployment and risk reduction, reusing proven technologies and operational infrastructure to move quickly from concept to orbit.

arcsec’s contribution

Arcsec is contributing its star tracker-derived detection capability to the mission. Specifically, this high-precision capability enables the constellation to detect and track resident space objects and debris.

“What makes ARGUS compelling for us is that it demonstrates something we’ve been investing in for years; that the star tracker technology we build for high-precision pointing can also serve as a space-domain awareness instrument. Having that recognised in a European programme of this importance is a milestone” - Tjorven Delabie, CEO of arcsec

Arcsec participates alongside the prime contractor GMV and co-partner Alén SpaceFor arcsec, participating in ARGUS reflects a direction the company has been pursuing for several years: Providing high-performance, reliable space-based space situational awareness sensors that allow to provide SSA data in an accurate, complete, timely and affordable way.

The bigger picture

ARGUS is not an endpoint, it is a stepping stone. The combined challenge of spectrum security, debris management, and space-domain awareness will shape European space policy and investment for the next decade. The pre-operational constellation delivers the

capability to answer concrete operational questions quickly, while laying the technical and organisational foundations for the sovereign IRIS² services that follow.

For the Belgian space industry, contributing to a programme of this strategic weight underlines that European sovereignty in space is being built, mission by mission, by the people and institutions on this continent.

In just five years, the space scale-up arcsec has grown into a trusted foundation of satellite navigation. We create steering and tracking systems, and are pioneering space situational awareness. We provide the baseline stability needed in commercial space. Thousands of small satellites are currently racing through the silent vacuum of space at speeds exceeding 27,000 kilometers per hour. These compact vessels carry immense responsibility: charting changing climates, bridging global communication gaps with laser links, and peering into the deepest corners of the cosmos.

Yet, a satellite’s capabilities are entirely bound to its vision. If a spacecraft trembles by even a fraction of a degree, critical climate imagery blurs into static, and long-range laser connections break in empty space.

At arcsec, we resolve this fundamental bottleneck by creating ultra-precise Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS). We are building autonomous, closed-loop navigation ecosystems that allow commercial fleets to sense, track, and independently steer clear of orbital debris. We are pushing the boundaries of precision ADCS with our reaction wheel developments, including levitating reaction wheels for long-duration missions.

Born from decades of academic research in optics and aerospace engineering, arcsec has transitioned from a research project into a proven global mission enabler. To match this trajectory - marked by system sales doubling between 2024 and 2025 - we recently moved into a larger, modern facility in Leuven, Belgium. Our new home serves as the physical launchpad for our growing ambitions.

Star trackers that speak to the imagination

To keep a satellite flawlessly oriented in the deep black, we look to the stars. Our star trackers function as cosmic cameras. They capture real-time signatures of star patterns and instantly cross-reference them with an internal celestial map. The result is instantaneous, absolute orientation.

In reality, this extreme stability unlocks breathtaking performance. It allows an imaging satellite to detect a forest fire no larger than a compact car from hundreds of miles above, or dynamically pivot its gaze to focus perfectly on Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, and the Brussels Atomium during a single, swift orbital pass.

We achieve this precision through uncompromised, robust engineering choices:

• Environmental endurance: Surviving wild launch vibrations, and thriving amid the thermal swings and harsh radiation of deep space.
• Minimal power draw: Operating on minimal electricity to preserve the vital energy of multi-year missions.
• Cognitive edge processing: On-board computer chips process celestial maps locally. This allows the satellite to think and self-correct instantly without waiting for Earth’s reply.
• Super-sensitive perception: Ultra-sharp optical sensors capable of tracking dim stars and neighboring floating objects with immaculate accuracy.
• In-orbit metamorphosis: Secure software updates beamed directly from Earth. This enables hardware to learn entirely new capabilities mid-mission.

Mapping a safe horizon for space exploration

As modern missions grow more sophisticated, arcsec is evolving from a components manufacturer into an architect of complete, closed-loop navigation packages. Engineered to scale, these plug-and-play systems are designed to steer everything from singular CubeSats to massive commercial SmallSat fleets. They seamlessly adapt to coordinate constellations comprised of hundreds of satellites.

Simultaneously, we recognize that the orbital environment is becoming increasingly congested. To protect the future of flight, we are transforming our navigation cameras into active guardians of Space Situational Awareness (SSA):

• Observing space debris: Repurposing our standard optical sensors to detect, track, and calculate the trajectories of dark, floating space debris.
• Multispectral understanding: Utilizing advanced imaging in different wavelengths and edge intelligence to further characterize uncatalogued orbital objects.
• Autonomous avoidance: Infusing satellites with the cognitive independence to predict and steer away from oncoming collisions entirely on their own.
• Collaborative safeguards: Fostering a safer orbital ecosystem through a technical data-sharing partnership with several commercial and institutional partners.

Proven in orbit and supported by a strong network

In the aerospace industry, true trust is forged in the unforgiving environment of space. Having delivered over 200 star trackers - with scores currently operating in orbit - arcsec has repeatedly earned its badge of honor. Our technology serves as the guiding vision and precise actuators for high-profile endeavors ranging from deep-space European Space Agency (ESA) scientific missions to expansive commercial imaging fleets.

“Our global ascent is nurtured by a robust domestic ecosystem. As a proud member of Flanders Space, arcsec collaborates deeply with Belgian universities, research institutions, and industrial pioneers.”

Belgium has long been a quiet powerhouse in the European space sector. arcsec embodies this legacy by combining deep-tech expertise with global ambition. This way, we are building a reliable foundation for the next generation of space travel.