Rome – October 28, 2026 -- OHB Italia's Eaglet-II constellation reached its planned 24 satellites after the third batch of eight launched at 20:32 CEST from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare mission. The launch brings Italy's IRIDE Earth observation programme to 39 satellites in orbit.
Eaglet-II hit full strength less than twelve months after its first satellites launched in 2025. IRIDE now combines the 24 Eaglet-II units with 15 HEO-constellation satellites already in orbit.
OHB Italia builds, tests and operates the entire constellation
OHB Italia developed, integrated and tested the Eaglet-II satellites and also operates them. Its Rome mission control centre received the first signals after separation and started commissioning.
Each minisatellite weighs about 25 kilograms and carries optical sensors for RGB imaging. The satellites can also receive and relay AIS signals for ship tracking, which supports maritime surveillance and security.
ESA says the milestone arrived several months ahead of PNRR deadlines
IRIDE is owned by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and the complementary National Plan (PNC). The European Space Agency (ESA) develops the programme with ASI support.
Simonetta Cheli, ESA's Director of Earth Observation Programmes and head of ESRIN, said the milestone came several months before the PNRR deadlines. ASI Commissioner Mario Cospito said the constellation segment meets the PNRR schedule and, in some areas, beats it.
Cheli said further launches of NIMBUS-SAR and HEO satellites will follow in the coming months, along with other planned constellations built by different industrial partners.
Data feeds civil protection, infrastructure monitoring and commercial services
Eaglet-II data will serve environmental monitoring, disaster management, civil protection, critical-infrastructure surveillance and the protection of land and coastal areas. It will also support the development of commercial applications.
IRIDE combines satellite constellations, ground infrastructure and digital services to turn Earth observation data into operational geoinformation services for institutions, authorities and research bodies. Once development and validation end, operational responsibility will pass gradually to ASI, which will run and further develop the system.
OHB Italia Managing Director Roberto Aceti said putting 24 fully in-house satellites into orbit in under a year shows the company can cover every phase of a constellation, from platform construction to in-orbit operations from Rome.