Recovery and resilience plan (PRR) Portugal
Portuguese Project
Portugal Open Constellation (PTOC) is a flagship initiative funded by European Union through NextGenerationEU and PRR - Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência. Led by Open Cosmos, it aims to establish, for the first time in Portugal, the capability to design, develop, manufacture, and operate complete satellites and payloads, driving the growth of the national space sector and contributing to the "New Space Portugal" agenda.
Project Title (Agenda): Portugal Open Constellation
Lead Entity: Open Cosmos Atlantic
Description: PTOC project is part of the Mobilising Agendas for Business Innovation within Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), under NextGenerationEU. Coordinated by Open Cosmos as the Programmatic and Technical Prime, PTOC seeks to transform Portugal’s economic profile through the development, production, and operation of satellite constellations.This pioneering effort will build the first-ever national capability to design, manufacture, and operate full satellites and payloads, leveraging local value chains to serve the fast-growing global space market. The project will deploy advanced Earth observation services focused on the Atlantic region, using multi- and hyperspectral optical imagery, GNSS reflectometry, and complementary telecommunications capabilities such as IoT (5G-compatible).Additionally, PTOC will create a digital platform for the distribution and exploitation of satellite data, and it will deliver a long-term scientific, technological, and industrial foundation for Portugal’s space sector. As part of the project, Open Cosmos will design, manufacture, and operate three satellites from Portugal, each carrying optical payloads with AI-powered remote sensing applications and Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) capability, and built on an open architecture for interoperability and integration into a shared “virtual constellation.”
Start Date: 01-12-2023
Completion Date: 30-06-2026
Eligible Investment (Agenda): 24 320 794,28 €
Objective, activities and expected results: The Portugal Open Constellation (PTOC) project aims to establish, for the first time in Portugal, the full capability to design, develop, and produce complete satellites and payloads, leveraging the national industrial and scientific ecosystem to serve a fast-growing global market. Through the coordinated work of its consortium partners, PTOC will build and operate a constellation of satellites featuring cutting-edge optical payloads, AI-powered remote sensing capabilities, and Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) technology. The project will deploy advanced Earth observation and remote sensing services with a focus on the Atlantic Ocean region, including multispectral and hyperspectral optical observation at medium and very high resolution, GNSS reflectometry, and SAR, complemented by telecommunications services such as 5G-compatible Internet of Things (IoT). It will also deliver a digital platform (DataCosmos) to distribute and exploit satellite and complementary data, supporting the development of downstream applications. By training national talent, promoting entrepreneurship, and fostering innovation, PTOC will accelerate the creation of a sustainable space ecosystem in Portugal, expand the portfolio of products and services offered by national space companies, and strengthen the country’s role in the international space sector.
Through PTOC, the following products and services will be developed:
National satellite manufacturing capability: Full in-country capacity to design, develop, and build satellites and payloads.Satellite constellation: Three Open Cosmos satellites operating as part of an open-architecture virtual constellation.Payloads:Hyperspectral camerasIoT payloads Optical payloads with AI-based remote sensing and Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) (by Open Cosmos)Digital platform: DataCosmos platform for the distribution and exploitation of satellite and complementary data sources.Remote sensing and telecommunications services: Medium and very high-resolution optical observation, GNSS reflectometry, IoT (5G).Satellite components and ground infrastructure: X-band transceivers, onboard computers, OBDH software, MGSE/EGSE equipment, HDRMs, star trackers, and more.Data-driven applications: New downstream solutions consuming and producing outputs on the DataCosmos platform.Training and research programmes: Advanced space-related education and entrepreneurship initiatives to build national expertise.
Beneficiary Entity: Open Cosmos Atlantic
Investment (Beneficiary): 15 386 976,58 €
Lead Entity: Open Cosmos Atlantic
Description: PTOC project is part of the Mobilising Agendas for Business Innovation within Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), under NextGenerationEU. Coordinated by Open Cosmos as the Programmatic and Technical Prime, PTOC seeks to transform Portugal’s economic profile through the development, production, and operation of satellite constellations.This pioneering effort will build the first-ever national capability to design, manufacture, and operate full satellites and payloads, leveraging local value chains to serve the fast-growing global space market. The project will deploy advanced Earth observation services focused on the Atlantic region, using multi- and hyperspectral optical imagery, GNSS reflectometry, and complementary telecommunications capabilities such as IoT (5G-compatible).Additionally, PTOC will create a digital platform for the distribution and exploitation of satellite data, and it will deliver a long-term scientific, technological, and industrial foundation for Portugal’s space sector. As part of the project, Open Cosmos will design, manufacture, and operate three satellites from Portugal, each carrying optical payloads with AI-powered remote sensing applications and Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) capability, and built on an open architecture for interoperability and integration into a shared “virtual constellation.”
Start Date: 01-12-2023
Completion Date: 30-06-2026
Eligible Investment (Agenda): 24 320 794,28 €
Objective, activities and expected results: The Portugal Open Constellation (PTOC) project aims to establish, for the first time in Portugal, the full capability to design, develop, and produce complete satellites and payloads, leveraging the national industrial and scientific ecosystem to serve a fast-growing global market. Through the coordinated work of its consortium partners, PTOC will build and operate a constellation of satellites featuring cutting-edge optical payloads, AI-powered remote sensing capabilities, and Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) technology. The project will deploy advanced Earth observation and remote sensing services with a focus on the Atlantic Ocean region, including multispectral and hyperspectral optical observation at medium and very high resolution, GNSS reflectometry, and SAR, complemented by telecommunications services such as 5G-compatible Internet of Things (IoT). It will also deliver a digital platform (DataCosmos) to distribute and exploit satellite and complementary data, supporting the development of downstream applications. By training national talent, promoting entrepreneurship, and fostering innovation, PTOC will accelerate the creation of a sustainable space ecosystem in Portugal, expand the portfolio of products and services offered by national space companies, and strengthen the country’s role in the international space sector.
Through PTOC, the following products and services will be developed:
National satellite manufacturing capability: Full in-country capacity to design, develop, and build satellites and payloads.Satellite constellation: Three Open Cosmos satellites operating as part of an open-architecture virtual constellation.Payloads:Hyperspectral camerasIoT payloads Optical payloads with AI-based remote sensing and Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) (by Open Cosmos)Digital platform: DataCosmos platform for the distribution and exploitation of satellite and complementary data sources.Remote sensing and telecommunications services: Medium and very high-resolution optical observation, GNSS reflectometry, IoT (5G).Satellite components and ground infrastructure: X-band transceivers, onboard computers, OBDH software, MGSE/EGSE equipment, HDRMs, star trackers, and more.Data-driven applications: New downstream solutions consuming and producing outputs on the DataCosmos platform.Training and research programmes: Advanced space-related education and entrepreneurship initiatives to build national expertise.
Beneficiary Entity: Open Cosmos Atlantic
Investment (Beneficiary): 15 386 976,58 €
Co-Financed by
