A British satellite operator backed by the government’s defence venture capital fund has announced plans to deploy a constellation of nearly 200 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites aimed at providing telecommunications services to commercial and governmental customers worldwide. Open Cosmos, based in Oxfordshire, intends to launch 96 satellites by 2028, expanding to a total of 192 units by 2030. If successful, this would establish Open Cosmos as one of the largest European LEO constellations, trailing only Eutelsat’s OneWeb network.
Operating at an altitude of approximately 650 miles, the proposed satellite network is designed to offer secure and resilient communications, particularly in scenarios where traditional infrastructure is compromised or overloaded. The company highlights applications including enhanced weather monitoring for improved emergency coordination and safeguarding critical infrastructure from cyber or physical threats.
Europe has been seeking alternatives to American-dominated satellite broadband services, particularly SpaceX’s Starlink, which currently operates a constellation exceeding 10,000 satellites. Starlink delivers high-speed internet to remote areas with limited terrestrial connectivity, setting a benchmark in the expanding global LEO market.
Open Cosmos secured a valuable radio spectrum licence from the principality of Liechtenstein earlier this year, outcompeting rivals such as Rivada Space Networks, a Munich-based subsidiary of an American company funded in part by billionaire Peter Thiel. The Ka-band spectrum licence grants Open Cosmos rights to expand its satellite network up to 576 units, positioning the company for future growth.
LEO satellites have gained strategic importance due to their lower altitude, enabling faster data transmission and reduced latency compared to traditional geostationary satellites. This makes them particularly attractive for critical military and commercial applications, including secure communications on aircraft and maritime vessels.
Founder and chief executive Jordà Siquier acknowledged industry-wide challenges, notably a shortage of launch vehicle capacity, which predominantly relies on SpaceX’s rockets. Despite this, he expressed confidence in meeting the company’s launch schedule. Open Cosmos recently raised €300 million from investors including the National Security Strategic Investment Fund to bolster its manufacturing capabilities. The company currently operates 17 satellites, primarily for Earth observation purposes.
Siquier emphasized the importance of establishing a European satellite communications alternative, citing geopolitical considerations. “Open Cosmos is extremely well positioned not only to serve the UK or to serve Europe but to serve all of those … that don’t want to have all of their critical infrastructure relying on only the US or only China,” he said. “Right now, there is a big need in Europe to avoid dependency on SpaceX and on Amazon and on systems that are from abroad.”
The project underscores a growing ambition within Europe to develop autonomous satellite capabilities and reduce reliance on non-European operators in a sector increasingly shaped by strategic and security imperatives.