On September 2, 2026, the UK Government Commercial Agency (GCA) selected Oxfordshire-based satellite developer Open Cosmos as an officially certified supplier under the TacSys (Tactical Communication System) framework procurement vehicle.
Valued at up to £8 billion (€9.3 billion) through June 2034, the framework supports upcoming UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) contracts designed to establish sovereign low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications infrastructure.
ConnectedCosmos Technical Specifications and Optical Link Architecture
Under the TacSys framework, Open Cosmos will deploy its multi-layer ConnectedCosmos LEO constellation to deliver secure ship-to-shore and tactical ground connectivity. The network architecture combines direct-to-device Internet of Things (IoT) sensing channels with broadband data transport.
Key technical parameters of the sovereign constellation include:
- Gatewayless Optical Routing: Equipped with Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISLs) that route encrypted data directly between orbital nodes without requiring intermediate ground station downlinks, mitigating subsea cable interception risks.
- Direct-to-Device Integration: Combines point-to-point high-speed bandwidth with direct-to-device radio frequency interfaces, allowing tactical field units to ingest space-derived intelligence directly on mobile terminals.
- Edge Processing and Sensor Fusion: Incorporates onboard high-performance compute units to fuse IoT telemetry and imagery, routing actionable targeting data within closed military networks.
Program History and MoD Defense Integration
The TacSys procurement aligns with the MoD’s £7.5 billion investment in its Digital Backbone and Targeting Web initiatives, designed to merge space-derived intelligence with tactical decision-making systems.
The framework award expands Open Cosmos’ defense portfolio in the UK, building on the £5.15 million Dstl Orpheus mission contract awarded to Open Cosmos and Astroscale and the deployment of MANTIS and PLATERO aboard SpaceX Transporter-9.
Executive Leadership Viewpoint
“The British government recognises the need for a modern, sovereign-controlled satellite network over the UK, one which will not only deliver high speed connectivity, but one that offers secure data transfer and layered architecture options for future readiness,” said Rafel Jordà Siquier, Founder and CEO of Open Cosmos. “We’ve been working tirelessly to build capability that directly serves governments and maps to their specific needs, not a solution that has to be retrofitted for purpose. We want to meet users where they are, and our selection as a key partner in this programme is a stamp of approval that we are taking the right approach.”
Framework Execution and Multi-Year Roadmap
The TacSys procurement framework will operate over an eight-year period through mid-2034. During this timeframe, the MoD will issue specific task orders under the £8 billion ceiling to integrate Open Cosmos’ space assets, flight software, and optical transport hardware into defense communications architectures across the United Kingdom and allied operational domains.
