As part of its National Microsatellite Programme, Greece has selected ICEYE from Finland and OroraTech from Germany to provide the country with six Earth observation satellites.
The National Microsatellite Programme was announced as part of the country’s national space strategy in 2021. It is funded to the tune of €130 million through Greece 2.0, the country’s national recovery and resilience plan. While the programme is funded and managed by Greece alone, the European Space Agency has been brought on to assist with the management of its initial phases.
The contracts awarded to ICEYE and OroraTech to deliver six Earth observation satellites were signed on 8 September during the Thessaloniki International Fair. The awards total €53 million, which will cover the development of the satellites and their launch.
“By harnessing the power of SAR satellite data, we will greatly improve our ability to monitor and protect key areas of interest, both on land and at sea, under any light and weather conditions,” said Deputy Minister of Digital Governance Konstantinos Kyranakis. “We are confident that this partnership, not only will strengthen our disaster response capabilities but will also drive innovation within the Greek space sector.”
ICEYE will provide two synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites and OroraTech four thermal infrared (TIR) satellites.
ICEYE has revealed that its contribution will also gain access to data from the company’s 38-satellite SAR constellation. Delivery of this data is expected to “commence immediately.” In what is likely a provision of the award, ICEYE has announced open a new facility in Greece that will be used to assemble the two satellites being supplied by the company.
OroraTech has told European Spaceflight that the four TIR satellites the company will provide Greece will be based on its FOREST-3 design. It aims to deliver the satellites to orbit by 2026. Like ICEYE, OroraTech will also furnish the country with data from its existing network of satellites. In order to coordinate the development and delivery of its four-satellite contribution, the company will be opening up a new facility in Athens.
The 8 September contract awards was the second major project awarded as part of the Greek National Microsatellite Programme. In June, Open Cosmos received a €60 million contract to build seven Earth observation satellites. The satellites will be equipped with very-high-resolution optical multispectral and hyperspectral cameras.
Update: A previous version of this article mistakenly stated that all six satellites would be SAR satellites.
Update: This most recent version has added details about OroraTech’s contribution.
