Open Cosmos Builds Atlantic Satellite Constellation To Advance European Earth Observation Capability

Open Cosmos, the space company building satellites to understand and connect the world, presented this morning eight new Earth observation satellites to advance Europe’s ability to monitor climate-related disasters and environmental threats from space at the ESA Earth Observation Commercialization Forum (ESA CommEO).

The final design of the satellites was presented by Tiago Rebelo, CRO of Open Cosmos, along with Cecilia Hernández, Director of Programs and Industry at the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) and Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programs at the European Space Agency (ESA). To mark the impact of this achievement on the Spanish space industry, the model will be donated to the AEE headquarters in Seville.

The contributing satellites are a significant milestone in the development of the Atlantic Constellation (ESCA), a project managed by the AEE in collaboration with the ESA to significantly strengthen Europe’s Earth observation capabilities. The project, endowed with €30 million of funding, will deliver 16 state-of-the-art satellites to create a linked, coordinated constellation capable of high performance and reliability in operational Earth observation missions.

Open Cosmos has achieved a key project milestone in passing the Critical Design Review (CDR), ensuring that the meticulous design of the mission (the satellites and the ground segment), the manufacturing, and verification plan are all now defined and frozen. Passing this milestone confirms that the design is safe and viable, enabling the start of satellite production, laboratory qualification, and software integration.