Satellite of Polish origin will go to a foreign army

• The signed contract provides for the delivery of one SAR satellite, a ground segment and an antenna in order to strengthen Portugal's defence capabilities in the space domain.
• The satellite will be part of the Portuguese component of the Atlantic constellation. This is a planned constellation of small Earth observation satellites.
• European sovereign ICEYE technologies, not subject to ITAR regulations, enable rapid development of ISR capabilities.

ICEYE, a company specializing in Earth observation using SAR (synthetic aperture radar) sensors, and the Portuguese Air Force announced on June 12 the signing of a contract for one ICEYE SAR satellite, together with a ground segment and an antenna.

Under the agreement signed in Lisbon, ICEYE will supply the satellite and other components to CTI Aeroespacial, a joint venture between the Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa, FAP) and CEiiA, a local center for innovation and engineering development. The parties are currently in talks to purchase additional satellites in the future .

The satellite will be part of the Portuguese component of the Atlantic constellation. This planned constellation of small Earth observation satellites will provide high-frequency data for environmental monitoring and disaster response. The initiative, which is intended to complement existing European solutions such as Copernicus, is led mainly by Spain and Portugal.

ICEYE and CTI Aeroespacial also agreed to cooperate to strengthen the Portuguese national space capabilities through the establishment of a satellite assembly facility in Portugal. On the same day, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed establishing a multi-year partnership in the framework of the national space strategy known as Portugal's 2030 Space Strategy.

This is an important step towards acquiring new capabilities.

- We are pleased to be working with Portugal to strengthen European defence and disaster response capabilities. This partnership underlines our commitment to providing critical ISR infrastructure and developing sovereign space technologies in the region - says Rafał Modrzewski, CEO and co-founder of ICEYE.

For the Portuguese Air Force, this is an important step towards acquiring new capabilities within the framework of the previously adopted strategy.

The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General João Cartaxo Alves, emphasizes that the Air Force is changing in line with the flight plan described as Air Force 5.3, based on 5th generation aircraft, as well as on the 5th operational domain, which is space.

Beyond its fundamental contribution to the air domain, Portugal’s effective defence and security can only be achieved through integrated actions in multiple operational domains, including cyberspace and space.

Since 2018, ICEYE has launched 48 SAR satellites

The vision of the Air Force in the context of security and defence is to provide space and air power, which will improve the performance of tasks by providing this type of armed forces with the ability to acquire data and information , ensuring situational awareness and maintaining control over the use of space in areas of state interest.

- At the same time, the Air Force wants to support the development and integration of new processes, services or products based on scientific and technological know-how that bring high added value - added General João Cartaxo Alves.

The signed agreement marks the completion of another significant step in ICEYE’s ambitions to become a leading supplier of critical ISR infrastructure.

European sovereign ICEYE technologies , not subject to ITAR regulations, enable the rapid development of ISR capabilities.

Since 2018, ICEYE has launched 48 SAR satellites for its own constellation and for customers, and plans to launch 20 new satellites per year starting this year. ICEYE’s launches so far this year in January and March have successfully completed the deployment of a total of eight new satellites.