Funder: European Commission
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2026 (Full application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: €66 million total; typical project funding depends on scope and consortium; multiple years possible; funding rates vary by activity (see below).
Summary: Supports the collaborative development of a European space-based ISR constellation of small multi-sensor satellites and innovative ground segments for rapid, resilient, and federated defence information.
Key Information: Launch and deployment costs for satellite prototypes are NOT eligible for EU funding and must be covered by project partners.
Description
This grant, under the European Defence Fund (EDF), aims to develop a European space-based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) constellation composed of small, multi-sensor satellites and innovative ground segments. The project will deliver a scalable, affordable, and modular system architecture to provide rapid, persistent, and high-value ISR information to European stakeholders before and during crises. The initiative is designed to complement existing high-end military assets and enable near real-time operational and tactical use, supporting EU defence autonomy and multi-user access.
Key pillars include:
- Defining and developing the overall system architecture (satellites, orbits, ground segments).
- Creating a Federation Layer for federated access and interoperability.
- Integrating with national and EU-level activities.
- Ensuring secure, interoperable interfaces and robust data policies.
- Achieving high revisit rates, very high spatial resolution, operational timeliness, advanced on-board processing, and compliance with security and space debris mitigation standards.
