Telespazio has been awarded a contract by ESA to develop the coordination and data access system of the Copernicus programme

Rome  27 June 2019

As part of the European Copernicus Earth Observation Programme, Telespazio was awarded a contract as main contractor by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop, maintain, and manage operations for the PRISM (Copernicus Contributing Missions access Support Functions and Platform) system.

The contract is worth EUR 12.5 million, and will run for 34 months, with the possibility of an optional extension of up to a further 24 months.

This system makes it possible to distribute satellite data generated by the Copernicus contributing missions to ESA users engaged in managing emergencies, monitoring the environment, and security.

PRISM is an evolution of the CDS V3 system operated by Telespazio as a result of a tender process won in 2014 and will be completely deployed over a commercial cloud. It will be fully integrated with the ESA’s Sentinel missions, Italy’s COSMO-SkyMed  satellites, and other EO missions associated with the Copernicus programme.

The tasks are managed by an international consortium headed by Telespazio, which also includes the Italian company Serco (main partner, responsible for operations), the Italian ONDA DIAS for cloud services, supplied by Serco via OVH cloud provider, Intecs, and Werum companies and other European partners.

Telespazio once again confirms that it is one of the European Space Agency’s main suppliers for high-tech systems, applications and services and plays a role of prime importance as industrial partner in the Copernicus programme.

Other News & Stories

11.12.2025
Leonardo, Telespazio and Intuitive Machines sign a strategic agreement for lunar communication and navigation

Leonardo, Telespazio and Intuitive Machines have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to develop interoperable infrastructures and provide communications and navigation services in support of lunar exploration.

13.11.2025
Agritech Living Lab: Telespazio at the forefront of agricultural innovation

Telespazio hosted the Agritech Living Lab at the Fucino Space Centre, an event organized within the framework of the Agritech Project, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), supported by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU initiative.

06.11.2025
AWARE: A new milestone for Europe’s public warning system

Telespazio France leads the second live demonstration of the AWARE project, using the Galileo constellation to deliver real-time emergency alerts in urban areas

05.11.2025
Sentinel-1D successfully launched: The First Copernicus Constellation is now complete

The Sentinel-1D satellite, part of the European Copernicus programme, was successfully launched on 4 November at 22:02 CET from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, aboard an Ariane 6 launcher. With this launch, the Sentinel-1 family is now complete, ensuring the continuity of Europe’s radar observation missions dedicated to monitoring our planet.

11.12.2025
Leonardo, Telespazio and Intuitive Machines sign a strategic agreement for lunar communication and navigation

Leonardo, Telespazio and Intuitive Machines have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to develop interoperable infrastructures and provide communications and navigation services in support of lunar exploration.

13.11.2025
Agritech Living Lab: Telespazio at the forefront of agricultural innovation

Telespazio hosted the Agritech Living Lab at the Fucino Space Centre, an event organized within the framework of the Agritech Project, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), supported by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU initiative.

06.11.2025
AWARE: A new milestone for Europe’s public warning system

Telespazio France leads the second live demonstration of the AWARE project, using the Galileo constellation to deliver real-time emergency alerts in urban areas

05.11.2025
Sentinel-1D successfully launched: The First Copernicus Constellation is now complete

The Sentinel-1D satellite, part of the European Copernicus programme, was successfully launched on 4 November at 22:02 CET from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, aboard an Ariane 6 launcher. With this launch, the Sentinel-1 family is now complete, ensuring the continuity of Europe’s radar observation missions dedicated to monitoring our planet.