The Pathfinder Hawk satellite has been launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on behalf of the Italian government. It is the first satellite of the country’s €1.1 billion IRIDE Earth observation constellation.
IRIDE will be unique in its incorporation of a wide range of sensing techniques and technologies, including microwave imaging with Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR), optical imaging at high and medium resolutions, and coverage across panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral, and infrared bands. Once operational, IRIDE will be used to track the impacts of climate change and provide data to support startups and SMEs in creating commercial applications.
In December 2022, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) awarded €68 million in contracts to Argotec and OHB Italia to build 22 High-Resolution Multispectral satellites, including 10 satellites under Argotec’s contract with an option for 15 more. In October 2024, Argotec was awarded a contract to build the additional 15 satellites. Combined with a contract awarded to TASI for six SAR satellites, the total value has reached €140 million.
On January 14, 2025, the first of the 25 Argotec-built satellites was successfully deployed into orbit at an altitude of 590 kilometers as part of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission.
The 65-kilogram satellite is a prototype for the Hawk for Earth Observation (HEO) constellation, which will be one of six constellations that make up IRIDE. The HEO constellation will provide services for coastal and maritime monitoring, land cover and use, and emergency and security services. The satellite will be used to validate the capability of the technology to capture imagery with a ground resolution of just three metres.
“The launch of the Pathfinder Hawk satellite marks a major milestone for the IRIDE programme and for the entire Italian space sector,” said ASI President Teodoro Valente. “This satellite is destined to test the path of the IRIDE constellation.”
In 2025, an additional nine satellites will be added to the HEO constellation. The remaining 15 satellites will follow in 2026.
