Alén Space has reached a new milestone in its participation in Spain’s contribution to the Atlantic Constellation (ESCA), following the successful completion of the project’s Critical Design Review (CDR), a key step that allows the program to move into the production phase for satellites and onboard payloads.
The Atlantic Constellation is a joint Earth observation initiative involving Spain and Portugal, promoted by the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) and managed technically by the European Space Agency (ESA). The program aims to deploy a network of 16 coordinated satellites designed to enhance Europe’s Earth observation capabilities and provide more frequent monitoring of land and maritime environments.
Spanish satellite company Alén Space is responsible for the design and manufacture of the constellation’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) payloads, which will provide maritime communication and vessel-monitoring capabilities from orbit. The company’s work includes the development of an engineering model and an initial flight model, followed by the production of eight additional flight units, including one spare, for integration into the satellite fleet.
The Spanish segment of the Atlantic Constellation is being led by Open Cosmos as prime contractor. It consists of eight identical small satellites weighing about 100 kilograms each. The spacecraft will carry a range of observation and monitoring instruments, including Visible and Near-Infrared (VNIR), AIS, Internet of Things (IoT), and GNSS-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) payloads.
According to the project, the broader Atlantic Constellation will complement existing European Earth observation infrastructure, including the Sentinel satellites operated under the Copernicus program, by delivering higher revisit rates and expanded monitoring coverage across territories and maritime regions.
Alén Space’s AIS payloads are based on the company’s proprietary TOTEM software-defined radio (SDR) technology. The system incorporates a dedicated frontend for receiving AIS signals in the VHF frequency band and software applications required to operate the service.
Among the anticipated uses of the technology are global vessel tracking in remote ocean regions, support for search-and-rescue missions, real-time cargo monitoring, and maritime surveillance activities aimed at combating illegal fishing and identifying unlawful operations at sea.
“Among the expected applications of this technology are global ship tracking across open oceans and remote areas; support for search and rescue (SAR) operations; real-time cargo monitoring; and maritime surveillance for the control of illegal fishing and the detection of illicit activities,” the company said.
Beyond maritime services, the Atlantic Constellation is expected to support a range of Earth observation applications, including emergency response, environmental monitoring, and territorial protection. Potential use cases include tracking forest fires, floods, and volcanic activity.
The project also represents a strategic step for Alén Space as it seeks to expand its role as a supplier of communications payloads for small satellites. The company said participation in the constellation supports the industrialisation of its AIS technology and its development as a standardized product offering.
The initiative aligns with other maritime communications projects undertaken by Alén Space, including the SATMAR mission, which is backed by Puertos del Estado and focuses on validating new satellite-based maritime communication capabilities using the VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) standard.
Through its involvement in the Atlantic Constellation, Alén Space aims to contribute to the development of Spain’s space industry while supporting the deployment of strategic infrastructure for monitoring territorial and maritime environments.
