Schwechat, Austria, June 16, 2025 – The Austrian space-tech startup GATE Space has reached a major milestone: In 2026, a satellite with a propulsion system from the young company will be launched into space for the first time – on board a SpaceX rocket. The technology was developed by a team of TU graduates and brought to market maturity after three years of intensive preparation.
"It is a great success for us that our technology is now making the leap into space," says Moritz Novak, CEO and co-founder of GATE Space. "The requirements for precision and reliability in space are extremely high – so we are all the more pleased that our system is now being used in a real mission for the first time."
Governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner congratulates on the success: "Innovations from Lower Austria are taking off – in the truest sense of the word. GATE Space impressively shows how research and targeted funding can result in an internationally competitive space solution made in Lower Austria. Lower Austria is a good ground for the rapidly growing space industry and will continue to support such developments to the best of its ability in the future."
The compact propulsion systems from GATE Space enable particularly precise and flexible control of satellites. This is made possible by patented technology in combination with innovative, environmentally friendly fuels that do not require additional compressed gases – making the systems simpler, safer and more cost-effective.
GATE Space, a spin-off of TU Wien, has developed its propulsion technology to operational readiness with great commitment in recent years – accompanied by ESA Phi-Lab Austria, which is operated by the Lower Austrian accent incubator. Based at Vienna International Airport, the competence centre focuses on the industrialization of start-ups and SMEs in the field of future-oriented space technologies. GATE Space was one of the first companies to benefit from this innovation environment at an early stage. A new round of applications for the programme is in preparation.
Interest in the technology is already high: numerous international customers have expressed their interest in writing and are eagerly awaiting market entry. In addition, GATE Space was able to win three high-profile contracts from the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2024.
"After three years of intensive development and thousands of ground tests, our team is ready for the first space mission," says Moritz Novak. The exact details will be announced in the summer of 2025.
Franz Viehböck, Austria's only astronaut and first investor in GATE Space, is convinced of the potential: "I have known the founders of GATE Space personally for many years. Not only have they identified a market-relevant gap, but they also have the technical and entrepreneurial know-how to help shape the space industry in the long term."
With the upcoming launch in 2026, Austria is underlining its growing role in international space technology – and sending a strong signal for innovations from its own country.
About GATE Space
