Argotec has signed a contract for the delivery of 15 additional Earth Observation (EO) smallsats that will comprise the IRIDE constellation — this is a program desired by the Italian government and is funded by PNRR funds and coordinated by the European Space Agency (ESA).
This is the second batch for the company, which, back in December 2022, was the first to sign on for the delivery of the first 10 satellites, now nearly finished and ready to be launched in the coming months.
The satellites have a mass of about 70 kg and are equipped with a sophisticated on-board computer capable of processing images directly on-orbit. The constellation will provide crucial data for the provision of services, among them monitoring of land consumption, observation of critical land points, coastal protection, precision agriculture, support to Civil Defense and more. The constellation formed by Argotec’s platforms is named HEO (Hawk for Earth Observation) and is widely scalable.
All the satellites will be made in the SpacePark, a Space Factory on the outskirts of Turin, Italy, that will be among the most advanced in Europe and will be officially opened just days from now on October 18th. The company is continuing to grow and structure itself to increase production capabilities, thanks to the know-how of the firm’s engineers and the technological solutions the company has implemented in the SpacePark.
“We are extremely proud to once again be at the forefront of this strategic program for the entire Italian space sector,” said Argotec CEO David Avino. “We have proven once again that we are able to manufacture, validate and deliver excellent products in record time. For us, the signing of this second contract is further recognition of Argotec’s reliability and efficiency. Not only that, the IRIDE program, has been an enabler for investments in the area amounting to 25 million in facilities and over 100 new hires related to the SpacePark project. The goal for the future is to take Made in Italy excellence in the space sector far beyond national borders, consolidating Italian leadership globally.“
