Italys IRIDE programme marks major step with first satellite constellation
Seven satellites have been launched for the Italian Earth observation mission, IRIDE. The satellites form part of the Hawk for Earth Observation (HEO) constellation, which carries multispectral optical instruments.
The constellation will provide data for products and services that will help public authorities to make decisions based on scientific data from space. The IRIDE programme will provide information for a wide range of environmental, emergency and security services for Italy.
The seven HEO satellites were developed by Argotec for the IRIDE programme. They join HEO Pathfinder, the first IRIDE satellite in orbit, which was launched in January 2025. It captured the programme's first image ? a view of Rome and central Italy in high resolution ? which was presented at ESA's site in Italy, ESRIN, earlier this year.
The launch by SpaceX took place at 23:25 CEST, Monday 23 June, on a Falcon 9 rocket, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Acquisition of signal was confirmed at Argotec's mission control about four hours after launch.
Coordinated by ESA with support from the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the IRIDE programme involves the deployment of six satellite constellations. It is an ambitious space initiative by the Italian government with funding from Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
"This milestone represents an important step for the IRIDE programme," said Simonetta Cheli, ESA's Director of Earth Observation Programmes. "The programme's satellite data will support the protection of our planet, the management of resources and global security. I would like to thank all the teams involved that made this important result possible. In particular, I would like to congratulate Argotec, Officina Stellare, Exprivia and all the companies involved in the creation of this constellation.
"This is another important step, but I would like to point out that soon new IRIDE constellations, created by other industrial groups, will be sent into space, further expanding the capabilities of the programme. With this mission, we demonstrate once again our ability to put technology at the service of humanity to support the most urgent challenges," noted Simonetta.
"There have been many variables in the development of these seven satellites, so it's with great satisfaction that we see the launch today," added David Avino, CEO and founder of Argotec. "Our team has shown commitment to offering our country state-of-the-art tools to monitor our planet. If even one step counts, today we have taken seven."
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