Portugal is stepping up the development of its own space-based Earth observation capabilities. The Finnish company ICEYE has announced that CTI Aeroespacial, a joint venture established by the Portuguese Air Force and the CEiiA technology centre, has ordered two additional satellites equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Once delivered, the Portuguese military will have a total of four satellites built by ICEYE at its disposal.
Portugal’s first SAR satellite was launched into orbit in March 2026 as part of the Atlantic Constellation programme and is already supporting national operations. The new satellites have undergone technical acceptance by representatives of the Air Force at ICEYE’s facilities in Finland and are being prepared for handover to the user.
SAR technology enables imaging of the Earth’s surface regardless of weather conditions or time of day. Unlike conventional optical satellites, radar can observe the terrain through clouds, smoke or at night, which is of great importance for both security and civilian applications.
Expanding the fleet to four satellites will increase the frequency of data acquisition over the Atlantic and Portugal’s exclusive economic zone. For Portugal, this means faster access to information used for monitoring maritime traffic, border protection, the surveillance of natural resources, and responding to disasters and environmental threats.
The decision is part of a wider European trend towards building so-called sovereign space capabilities. An increasing number of countries regard access to their own satellite data as part of their critical infrastructure. In recent years, similar contracts with ICEYE have been signed by, amongst others, Poland, Greece, the Netherlands and Sweden.
