Open Cosmos, a company based at UPTEC – Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto, presented the final design of the eight Spanish satellites that will form part of the Atlantic Constellation (ESCA) during the ESA Earth Observation Commercialisation Forum in Seville.

The Atlantic Constellation, a programme driven by Portugal and Spain to strengthen European Earth observation capabilities, will place 16 state-of-the-art satellites into orbit, which will operate in a coordinated manner. The Spanish component is led and coordinated by Open Cosmos, which will be responsible for the design and construction of the eight Spanish satellites. Managed by the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), the project is an Earth observation programme with funding of around €30 million.

“Presenting the satellite design is a key milestone for the ESCA programme, given its complexity and ambition. The system is ready to move into the production phase and reflects the enormous joint effort by Open Cosmos and the entire Spanish industrial and scientific consortium,” notes Tiago Rebelo, CRO of Open Cosmos.

The satellites in the ESCA programme will be based on Open Cosmos’ high-resolution platform, an architecture currently being used in over 40 satellites under construction, many of which form part of Open Constellation – the shared satellite infrastructure created by Open Cosmos, which provides access to real-time Earth observation data. These are microsatellites weighing around 100 kg, designed to offer high performance and reliability in operational Earth observation missions.

“This system will provide guaranteed access to Earth observation data over the Iberian Peninsula, strengthening the capacity for monitoring and responding to emergencies, as well as environmental protection and efficient land management,” concludes Cecilia Hernández, Director of Programmes and Industry at the ESA.

Each satellite incorporates a set of complementary payloads (VNIR, AIS, IoT and GNSS-R) that enable the capture of precise information on the land and sea surfaces. This technology will enable countries to access essential, high-precision information to support strategic decision-making in areas such as environmental protection, natural disaster management, forest fire prevention and climate emergency response.

21 May 2026