GMV expands its Focusear network with low-orbit surveillance capabilities

GMV has been awarded the French National Center for Space Studies’ (CNES) FOCUSEAR-MEGA project as part of the European Union’s (EU) Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) program, through the Financial Support to Third Parties: Innovative Commercial Sensors, cascade grant EUSST2023-26.

This contract will allow for the deployment of a network of passive radio frequency (RF) passive sensors for satellite surveillance in low-Earth orbit (LEO) megaconstellations. The new network will consist of four stations that will perform Doppler measurements with an accuracy of hundreds of millimeters per second and a latency of fifteen minutes, improving object cataloging capabilities and maneuver detection. It is estimated that this new network will be able to monitor more than 9,000 satellites, including satellites in the Starlink and OneWeb constellations, among others.

Focusear, developed entirely by GMV, is a groundbreaking passive sensor system that has proven to be an effective, reliable, and cost-efficient solution for continuous tracking of active satellites, even in the presence of frequent maneuvers. The system currently has four stations in Tres Cantos (Madrid) Boecillo (Valladolid), Barcelona, and Seville, which provide over 2,800 tracks per day in geostationary orbit. FOCUSEAR‑MEGA will expand coverage to LEO orbit, currently the most congested orbit.

Following the success of previous projects, this project cements GMV as a European leader in advanced space surveillance technologies, strengthening its partnership with CNES and its strategic role within the EU’s SST initiative.

Through this project, GMV is continuing to spearhead Europe’s technological autonomy in space surveillance and tracking, actively contributing to a safer and more sustainable space environment.