BIFROST Commissioning Successful

The BIFROST mission has successfully completed its In-Orbit Commissioning Review (IOCR), officially marking the transition from commissioning into the technology demonstration phase. The IOCR acceptance confirms that the spacecraft and ESM payload are fully functional and performing to specification.

During commissioning, all spacecraft systems — including power, communications, attitude control, and thermal subsystems — were successfully activated, tested, and verified. The satellite bus performed nominally, confirming the robust design and build quality of the full platform. The BIFROST satellite is based on Space Inventor’s proven micro-8 platform, which is designed for high-performance missions in challenging environments. Its modular architecture and scalable subsystems make it adaptable to a wide range of payloads, while maintaining reliability and resilience in orbit. The platform’s compact size and efficient power management are particularly well suited for surveillance applications, where both agility and endurance are critical. By combining robustness with flexibility, the Micro-8 ensures that missions like BIFROST can operate with confidence and deliver advanced capabilities within a small-satellite form factor.

In parallel, the Electronic Support Measures (ESM) payload demonstrated its capability in orbit, delivering high-quality signal data. The receiver was able to detect and analyze radar pulses — including weak and complex signals — confirming its performance in a maritime surveillance context. Initial results showed the system’s ability to extract key radar pulse characteristics and angles of arrival, supporting advanced geolocation and radar signature analysis. These results demonstrate that BIFROST can not only capture the original pulse shape but also reconstruct key parameters for interferometric geolocation. This capability enables cataloguing of more complex pulse signatures, such as those employed by naval radars.

The ESM antennas’ ground coverage - here illustrated during a pass over the GIUK gap

Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation, BIFROST Programme Manager, Martin Veicherts, states:
“With the Bifrost satellite project, Space Inventor has created a new level for upcoming Danish space missions. The increased size of the platform and its power supply combined with the innovative features of in situ AI processing and real-time data downlink, have pushed future possible realizable mission designs up in a league that will enable advanced military and civilian ideas to be rolled out. The development has been supported by other companies – Terma, Gatehouse Satcom, Unibap, DTU Space and mainly financed by Danish and Swedish Defence”.

Conclusion
This successful commissioning marks a major milestone for the BIFROST team and Space Inventor’s mission delivery capabilities. The mission will now transition into a phase focused on demonstrating key technologies, including AI-based target detection and inter-satellite communication for real-time target reporting — both identified as essential for meeting future surveillance needs. 

About BIFROST: 
BIFROST is engineered specifically for the Danish and Swedish Defence forces and will enable space-based surveillance, target identification, and real-time event reporting in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions. Its purpose is to strengthen AI-supported situational awareness and tactical observations, improving Denmark and Sweden’s capabilities to respond quickly and share data across European and international partnerships.