Ibadan, 7 November 2022. – D-Orbit spa, Exprivia spa, Planetek Italia srl, and Serco Italia spa have established OSIRIDE (Operational Solutions for IRIDE) to generate ideas by fostering the emergence of startups and innovative approaches for the development of the Iride satellite constellation. OSIRIDE will also extend benefits to a broad ecosystem of SMEs and startups in all Italian regions, thus ensuring innovation and further boosting the growth of aerospace districts.
The four Italian partner companies of OSIRIDE are leaders in various segments of the Earth observation industry: D-Orbit, in space logistics and transportation services, Exprivia, in-ground systems, and enterprise software solutions for public and private clients. Similarly, Planetek Italia, in the development of Earth observation-derived services and analytics, and Serco Italia, in Earth observation with long experience in designing and operating satellite data management infrastructure.
IRIDE is Europe’s largest low Earth orbit (LEO) space program and is a major component of the NextGenerationEU, with a focus on the development of space activities, supporting the ecological and digital transition. As a result, the program will implement a system that includes all components (upstream, downstream, and services) to provide national and European geospatial services to public administration and private customers at the national and European levels.
IRIDE will consist of a constellation of 36 satellites of various types and sizes combining SAR (synthetic aperture radar), optical, panchromatic, hyperspectral, and infrared sensors. Furthermore, the constellation will be built in Italy and completed by 2026 with support from The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) for a total value of 1.3 billion euros allocated under the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience (PNRR). The constellation will help the Civil Defense Department and other administrations deal with hydrogeological instability and fires, protect coastlines, and monitor critical infrastructure, air quality, and weather conditions.
The context and scale of IRIDE’s projects will generate numerous job opportunities for young talent, researchers, and professionals working on space technologies.
