Open Cosmos has been selected by the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) and the European Space Agency (ESA) to lead the Spanish component of the Atlantic Constellation, a sovereign Earth observation programme jointly promoted by Spain and Portugal. The British-Spanish company will design and build eight advanced microsatellites at its Barcelona facilities, with delivery targeted by 2027.
A sovereign constellation for climate and coastal resilience
The award covers the Spanish piece of the wider 16-satellite Atlantic Constellation, known as ESCA. Each roughly 100 kg satellite will carry four complementary payloads: high-resolution multispectral optical cameras, a GNSS-reflectometry sensor, an Automatic Identification System receiver for vessel tracking, and Internet of Things connectivity for collecting in-situ data from remote areas. Together they are designed to monitor forests, crops, water resources and coastlines, and to deliver near real-time situational awareness during wildfires, floods and other disasters.
The announcement was made at ESA's ESAC facilities near Madrid. "Open Cosmos is delivering some of the most ambitious constellations in Europe, and being awarded this one in Spain is not only very special to me as a Spaniard, but also pivotal in the growth of our pan-European company," said founder and CEO Rafel Jorda.
Built on a shared 'system of systems'
The constellation is conceived to interoperate with other missions through a "system of systems" approach. Open Cosmos already operates OpenConstellation, a shared global infrastructure to which the UK, Greece, Portugal and Spanish regions including Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Andalusia and the Canary Islands have contributed satellites. The Spanish project is delivered by a consortium led by Open Cosmos that also includes Satlantis, the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC), Alen Space and FOSSA Systems.
Europe's space sovereignty push
The deal reinforces Europe's drive toward strategic autonomy in Earth observation, echoing wider momentum in the region's space sector. It follows a string of European space stories, from AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird launches to ESA-backed collision-avoidance work such as the Look Up and Skynopy ATLAS2 partnership, while foundation-model providers like NVIDIA's Cosmos platform push AI deeper into physical and orbital systems. With an expected five-year operational life per satellite, the ESCA constellation underlines Spain's commitment to resilient, accessible space infrastructure.
Reporting based on coverage from Open Cosmos, European Spaceflight and Computer Weekly.