Open Cosmos, a company based at UPTEC – Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto that designs, manufactures and operates satellites, has just launched two pioneering satellites into orbit.  The 6GStarLab, the first telecommunications laboratory in orbit, and a new satellite from Open Constellation, the shared satellite infrastructure created by the company, were launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 (Transporter 15). The company was responsible for the development, design, manufacture and orbital operations of the satellites for both missions.

“This dual launch reflects the breadth and ambition of Open Cosmos’ current offering: enabling research, innovation and commercial value through a shared and connected infrastructure in space. The 6GStarLab and the new Open Constellation satellite represent the future of our industry: collaboration between governments, industry and technology leaders to make Space data more accessible and powerful,” said Rafel Jordà Siquier, founder and CEO of Open Cosmos.

The 6GStarLab mission is the first European laboratory in low Earth orbit (LEO) for experimentation in 6G non-terrestrial networks (NTN). Built to be an open and flexible testing platform, it offers researchers an environment to test new communication technologies and allows tests to be performed in a real space environment, driving the development of new technological applications such as remote communications, telemedicine, distance learning, fire and natural disaster prevention and mitigation, and autonomous mobility.

The new Open Constellation satellite will be able to identify and quantify specific materials, chemical compositions, and subtle environmental changes, such as crop health, mineral deposits, or types of pollution, using a hyperspectral imager and storing the data. This infrastructure was designed by Open Cosmos to allow organisations to access better quality data more frequently, generated by all the satellites that are part of Open Constellation. The new mission will enable customers in the agricultural, energy, insurance and environmental monitoring sectors to make faster, data-driven decisions without the cost or complexity normally associated with satellite systems.

This satellite incorporates technology developed by the team at Connected, a startup incubated at UPTEC, acquired by Open Cosmos earlier this year. Their expertise in space telecommunications and advanced in-orbit data processing has been directly integrated into the satellite’s architecture, strengthening its ability to combine and analyse Earth Observation data in orbit and provide real-time insights.

09 December 2025