ICEYE, the global leader in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite technology, and the Portuguese Air Force, a branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces, announced on June 12 the purchase of one ICEYE SAR satellite, a ground segment and an antenna at a signing ceremony in Lisbon. ICEYE will deliver the satellite and other components to CTI Aerospacial, a joint venture between the Portuguese Air Force and CEiiA, a local centre of engineering and innovation. The parties are in discussions relating to the purchase of additional satellites in the future.

This satellite will be part of the Portuguese component of the Atlantic Constellation, a project for a constellation of small Earth observation satellites, primarily driven by Spain and Portugal, that aims to provide high-frequency data for environmental monitoring and disaster relief, complementing existing European systems like Copernicus.

Additionally, ICEYE and CTI Aeroespacial have agreed to collaborate to strengthen Portugal's national space capabilities by establishing a satellite assembly facility in Portugal. The memorandum of understanding was signed on the same date to establish a long-term partnership as part of Portugal's 2030 Space Strategy.

"We are very proud to collaborate with Portugal in strengthening Europe's defense and disaster relief capabilities. This partnership underscores our commitment to providing critical ISR infrastructure and advancing sovereign space technologies within the region," says Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and Co-founder of ICEYE.

For the Air Force, as part of a defined strategy, this represents a significant step forward towards the acquisition of new capabilities. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General João Cartaxo Alves, emphasizes that "the Air Force is changing, in accordance with a Flight Plan described as "Air Force 5.3" focused on 5th Generation and the 5th Operational Domain – Space. In addition to the fundamental contribution of the air domain, the success of Portugal's Security and Defense can only be achieved through the integrated action of multiple operational domains, including Cyberspace and Space.

Within the scope of Security and Defense, the Air Force's vision is to deliver aerospace power enhancing the assigned missions by providing the Air Force with data and information capabilities that guarantee situational awareness and control of the use of space in the areas of national interest and simultaneously, foster the development and integration of new processes, services or products based on scientific and technological knowledge with high added value."

This announcement marks another milestone in ICEYE's ambition towards becoming the leading provider of critical ISR infrastructure. ICEYE's European, sovereign, non-ITAR technology enables the rapid delivery of ISR capabilities to its customers. ICEYE has launched 48 SAR satellites into orbit for the company and its customers since 2018 and plans to launch more than 20 new satellites annually in 2025, 2026, and beyond. ICEYE's previous launches in January and March 2025 both successfully deployed four new satellites each.

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