Italy’s HEO Pathfinder satellite, part of the country’s planned IRIDE constellation, has begun its operational phase and transmitted its first imagery from space.
The Italian government launched the IRIDE programme in 2022 as part of its National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), allocating a budget of €1.07 billion. The initiative aims to develop a constellation of more than 60 Earth observation satellites equipped with microwave imaging via Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), high- and medium-resolution optical sensors, and coverage across panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral, and infrared bands. Italy expects to achieve full operational capability by June 2026. In addition to various environmental applications, the constellation will also support “security activities.”
In late 2022, the Italian Space Agency awarded €68 million in contracts to Argotec and OHB Italia to build 22 High-Resolution Multispectral satellites for the IRIDE constellation. On 14 January 2025, the first of the Argotec-built satellites was successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission.
On 28 March, the first official imagery from the HEO Pathfinder satellite was unveiled during an event at ESA’s Centre for Earth Observation in Frascati, Italy. The image, a striking view of Rome, is part of a longer strip acquired over Italy. The release marks a significant milestone, officially kicking off the satellite’s operational phase.
“These first images show the extraordinary potential of IRIDE, made possible thanks to the skills and motivation of the teams from ESA, ASI and Italian industry,” said Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s Head of Earth Observation Programmes.
The next pieces of the IRIDE puzzle are expected to be launched in June and November 2025.
