# ESA awards two contracts to design EU's sovereign Earth observation service

- Source: Nordic Defence Sector (https://nordicdefencesector.com)
- Canonical URL: https://nordicdefencesector.com/en/article/esa-awards-two-contracts-to-design-eus-sovereign-earth-observation-service
- Published: 2026-09-18
- Author: Daniel Trangeled
- Type: News · Section: Space · Country: finland
- Language: en (original)
- Also available in: de (https://nordicdefencesector.com/de/article/esa-awards-two-contracts-to-design-eus-sovereign-earth-observation-service.md), dk (https://nordicdefencesector.com/dk/article/esa-awards-two-contracts-to-design-eus-sovereign-earth-observation-service.md), es (https://nordicdefencesector.com/es/article/esa-awards-two-contracts-to-design-eus-sovereign-earth-observation-service.md), fi (https://nordicdefencesector.com/fi/article/esa-awards-two-contracts-to-design-eus-sovereign-earth-observation-service.md), fr (https://nordicdefencesector.com/fr/article/esa-awards-two-contracts-to-design-eus-sovereign-earth-observation-service.md), it (https://nordicdefencesector.com/it/article/esa-awards-two-contracts-to-design-eus-sovereign-earth-observation-service.md), no (https://nordicdefencesector.com/no/article/esa-awards-two-contracts-to-design-eus-sovereign-earth-observation-service.md), pl (https://nordicdefencesector.com/pl/article/esa-awards-two-contracts-to-design-eus-sovereign-earth-observation-service.md), sv (https://nordicdefencesector.com/sv/article/esa-awards-two-contracts-to-design-eus-sovereign-earth-observation-service.md)
- Primary source: https://www.iceye.com/newsroom/press-releases/esa-selects-arise-consortium-to-design-blueprint-for-europes-sovereign-earth-observation-governmental-service?hs_amp=true
- Tags: iceye, leonardo, esa, arise, space, rheinmetall, europe, finland, eu, eogs, indra space, hisdesat, creotech instruments, safranai, ororatech

> ESA has awarded two parallel study contracts to consortia led by Finland's ICEYE and Italy's Leonardo to design the architecture for the EU's future sovereign Earth Observation Governmental Service (EOGS). The studies run for 12 months, with a possible extension, and will form the basis for EOGS deployment under the EU's 2028–2034 budget framework.

![Simonetta Cheli, Director of EO Programmes at ESA, Jeffrey Apeldoorn, VP Missions - ESA/EU at ICEYE, and Christoph Kautz, Director for Space Policy, Satellite Navigation and Earth Observation (DEFIS)](https://imagedelivery.net/XO8UY-c6-LfWgEjQsN8IQw/8396c70e-6a8a-46e5-ca9f-b5da3e686d00/public)
*Simonetta Cheli, Director of EO Programmes at ESA, Jeffrey Apeldoorn, VP Missions - ESA/EU at ICEYE, and Christoph Kautz, Director for Space Policy, Satellite Navigation and Earth Observation (DEFIS) · European Commission*

**On 17 September 2026, the European Space Agency awarded parallel study contracts to two competing consortia, led by Finland's [ICEYE](https://www.iceye.com/newsroom/press-releases/esa-selects-arise-consortium-to-design-blueprint-for-europes-sovereign-earth-observation-governmental-service) and Italy's [Leonardo](https://www.leonardo.com/en/press-release-detail/-/detail/17-09-2026-leonardo-selected-to-help-shape-europe-s-future-sovereign-earth-observation-capability), to design the architecture of the EU's future Earth Observation Governmental Service (EOGS).**

[According to](https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/ESA_awards_contracts_for_Europe_s_EOGS_blueprint) ESA, EOGS will provide "secure, reliable, timely, persistent and targeted" space-based Earth observation data for security and defence decisions. The studies fall under the EU-funded European Resilience from Space for Earth Observation programme. Each contract runs 12 months, with an option to extend by eight.

The design covers the space segment, ground infrastructure, data processing and governance, feeding into EOGS deployment under the EU's 2028–2034 budget framework.

ICEYE leads the ARISE consortium, with Indra Space, Rheinmetall and HISDESAT as core partners and nine further companies including Creotech Instruments, SafranAI and OroraTech.

ICEYE CEO and Co-Founder Rafał Modrzewski said the study would help "define Europe's future architecture for resilience and security”. He added that ICEYE is “proud to work closely with European institutions to help build an environment in which Europe’s technology companies can scale in Europe”.

"These two contracts are an important early milestone to construct and define the space architecture," said Simonetta Cheli, ESA's director of Earth Observation Programmes.

## FAQ

**What did ESA award on 17 September 2026 for the EU's Earth Observation Governmental Service?**

ESA awarded parallel study contracts to two competing consortia, led by Finland's ICEYE and Italy's Leonardo, to design the architecture of the EU's future Earth Observation Governmental Service. The studies fall under the EU-funded European Resilience from Space for Earth Observation programme, each running 12 months with an eight-month extension option. Last fact-checked: 2026-09-18.

**Which companies lead the two consortia competing to design EOGS?**

ICEYE leads the ARISE consortium, with Indra Space, Rheinmetall and HISDESAT as core partners, plus nine further companies including Creotech Instruments, SafranAI and OroraTech. Leonardo leads the competing consortium. ICEYE CEO Rafał Modrzewski said the study helps define Europe's future architecture for resilience and security. Last fact-checked: 2026-09-18.

**What will the EOGS design contracts cover and when will the service be deployed?**

The design covers the space segment, ground infrastructure, data processing and governance for EOGS, which will provide secure, reliable, timely, persistent and targeted space-based Earth observation data for security and defence decisions. It feeds into EOGS deployment under the EU's 2028–2034 budget framework. Last fact-checked: 2026-09-18.

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