Synthetic-aperture radar satellite for Earth observation launched by Thales
NewsJanuary 05, 2026
ROME, Italy. A third COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) Earth observation satellite has been launched to support an Italian Space Agency and Italian Ministry of Defense dual-use radar imaging constellation, Thales Alenia Space announced in a statement.
The spacecraft lifted off Jan. 3 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the company says. After separation, the satellite was acquired by Telespazio’s Fucino Space Center in Abruzzo, Italy, where operators began launch and early orbit phase activities expected to run for about nine days, according to the statement.
Thales Alenia Space says the new satellite is intended to maintain continuity of SAR services while the four-satellite second-generation constellation replaces the first-generation COSMO-SkyMed system, which the company says includes four satellites, with two still operational. The company adds that COSMO-SkyMed data has been used for applications including environmental monitoring, emergency management, maritime traffic management, and infrastructure monitoring. Since 2007, about 4.3 million images have been collected and archived, the statement reads.
