Blackswan Space raises €2.5 million to advance spacecraft navigation for satellite refuelling

Lithuanian company Blackswan Space has raised €2.5 million to commercialise technology that helps spacecraft approach and dock autonomously. Its navigation payload is scheduled for an orbital test in late 2027 and will support ASTRAL, a European in-orbit refuelling demonstration planned for 2028.

The investment round, announced on 30 September, was led by Iron Wolf Capital. Returning investors Lemonade Stand and former NanoAvionics co-founder Linas Sargautis participated alongside NGL Ventures and Lithuanian technology entrepreneur Tomas Žalandauskas. The round brings Blackswan’s total funding to €3.2 million.

Enabling spacecraft to approach and dock autonomously

Satellite inspection, servicing and refuelling depend on spacecraft being able to approach another object and manoeuvre precisely around it. Blackswan’s rendezvous and proximity operations payload, the RPO Kit, is designed to give operators these capabilities without developing the navigation technology themselves.

The kit uses the company’s proprietary vision-based navigation system to detect, identify and track a target and support autonomous manoeuvres relative to it. Blackswan has been developing this system for the past five years.

The next milestone is an in-orbit test, with launch scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2027. This demonstration will help establish how the technology performs in space ahead of its use in operational missions.

Supporting satellite refuelling in Europe

Blackswan’s RPO Kit will play a critical role in ASTRAL — Advance Satcom Technology with Refuelling and Logistics — an in-orbit refuelling demonstration led by space logistics company Orbit Fab.

Planned for 2028, the mission will use the kit to enable docking between two spacecraft ahead of the refuelling operation. ASTRAL is backed by up to €3.3 million in funding from the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency.

Jake Geer, managing director of Orbit Fab UK, said Blackswan’s technical capabilities and strong relationship with ESA were key reasons for selecting the company to supply the mission’s navigation payload.

The mission connects Blackswan’s autonomous navigation work to a practical application: enabling spacecraft to receive fuel in orbit. The same navigation capabilities can also support satellite inspection and other servicing operations.

Building on commercial mission simulation software

Alongside its navigation payload, Blackswan develops the Mission Design Simulator, software capable of modelling complex autonomous mission execution. Its earlier investment round supported the commercialisation of this product, which has attracted customers in Europe and the United States, including Auria Space.

The new funding, together with commercial revenues and secured institutional projects, will support further simulator sales and accelerate the development, testing and commercialisation of the RPO Kit. It will also support the company’s expansion in the United States.

Founded in 2019, Blackswan now has a team of 25 people across Vilnius, London and Denver. Its immediate focus is to demonstrate that its navigation technology performs in orbit, paving the way for wider use in autonomous satellite operations and space logistics.

Learn more about Blackswan Space.

Source: Blackswan Space press release, 30 September 2026.