Telespazio Ibérica awarded contract to build the Canary Islands satellite constellation

19 February 2026

Telespazio Ibérica, the Spanish subsidiary of Telespazio (a Leonardo Group company), has been awarded the €20 million contract to develop the Canary Islands satellite constellation, the first Earth observation system created by a Spanish autonomous community. The company will lead the project, build the ground segment, and manage the constellation.

The project’s objectives and features were presented today in Malaga, together with the Cabildo of Tenerife (the island’s governing body), during SSSIF Málaga 2026, Spain’s leading event dedicated to small satellites.

The contract includes the development of a constellation consisting of three operational satellites and one technological demonstrator in low Earth orbit (450–700 km), each with a mass between 20 and 30 kilograms, capable of ensuring daily coverage of the Canary Islands archipelago and surrounding waters.

Telespazio Ibérica will ensure the entire mission lifecycle: from the flight and ground segments to data processing and distribution, including integration, launch, operations, and deorbiting.

Planned applications will include monitoring of wildfires, marine spills, floods, air quality, soil moisture, and the effects of climate change, delivering scientific, environmental, and economic benefits to support both public and private decision-making.

For the development of the satellite platform, AVS Added Value Solutions has been selected as the industrial partner. The initiative is part of the Tenerife Space Horizon programme, supported by a €78 million investment over five years and aimed at strengthening the region’s technological positioning.

The award also represents a strategic milestone for Telespazio Ibérica, marking its first leadership in Spain of an end-to-end space project of this scale, consolidating the Telespazio Group’s role in Earth observation services and opening new international development opportunities.

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