Italy completes the Eaglet II satellite constellation for the Iride program

The Eaglet II satellite constellation, one of the six components of the Italian Earth observation program Iride, has been successfully completed. The final batch of 8 satellites, built by Ohb Italia, was launched at 20:32 Italian time on Thursday, October 1st, from the Vandenberg base in California, aboard SpaceX's shared Transporter-18 mission.

With this launch, the number of operational satellites in the Eaglet II constellation has risen to 24, all equipped with multispectral sensors for image acquisition. The completion marks a significant milestone for the Iride program, which aims to provide public services for monitoring land, coastlines, hydrogeological risks, wildfires, and air quality.

Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programs at ESA, described the achievement as "exciting," emphasizing that "Italy is taking another step forward toward full capacity to support various public services." Roberto Aceti, CEO of Ohb Italia, called it an "extraordinary milestone" for the company.

The Iride program is an ambitious, all-Italian space initiative funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Created to establish a national Earth observation satellite system, the project involves placing six different satellite constellations into orbit, developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) with support from the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The goal is to ensure Italy's autonomy in collecting data crucial for environmental security and land management.

Eaglet II is the first of these constellations to be completed. The project took concrete shape less than a year ago with its first launch and rapidly progressed through subsequent launches. The 24 satellites, each weighing just 25 kilograms, are designed to provide persistent surveillance with rapid response times, also incorporating features for ship tracking.

This system represents a technological breakthrough for the country, transforming satellite data into practical applications for public services, scientific research, and economic development. The completion of Eaglet II brings Italy closer to Iride's ultimate goal: a comprehensive national satellite network for environmental protection, natural disaster prevention, and monitoring of critical infrastructure.