Open Cosmos has won a significant new contract from the U.K. government as the U.K. looks to build better sovereign connectivity architecture. It has been selected by the British Government Commercial Agency (GCA) as an officially certified and vetted partner to provide satellite connectivity via its ConnectedCosmos Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation. Open Cosmos announced the deal, Sept. 2.
The TacSys (Tactical Communication System) framework procurement vehicle has an estimated value of up to 8 billion pounds ($10.8 billion), mapped to a series of upcoming Ministry of Defence (MoD) contracts. Running until June 2034, TacSys will provide the framework through which innovative private sector technologies will be integrated into MoD-owned capabilities for the purpose of secure and resilient communications.
Open Cosmos first announced the LEO constellation in January, when it received the award to Liechtenstein’s priority Ka-band spectrum filing previously held by Rivada. Open Cosmos later named the constellation ConnectedCosmos in March. The first two satellites launched in January.
ConnectedCosmos serves as a multi-layer LEO architecture, integrating IoT sensing and broadband communications into a single orbital framework. The company said the constellation aims to combine point-to-point broadband with direct-to-device IoT, enabling governments to detect threats in real time and deliver actionable, space-derived intelligence directly into tactical networks, applications and decision-making systems.
“The British government recognizes the need for a modern, sovereign-controlled satellite network over the U.K., one which will not only deliver high speed connectivity, but one that offers secure data transfer and layered architecture options for future readiness. We’ve been working tirelessly to build capability that directly serves governments and maps to their specific needs, not a solution that has to be retrofitted for purpose. We want to meet users where they are, and our selection as a key partner in this programme is a stamp of approval that we are taking the right approach,” Rafel Jordà Siquier, founder and CEO, Open Cosmos, said in a statement.
