SAOCOM satellite imagery.

Italy and Argentina are to continue their collaboration in the space data arena. e-GEOS, a joint venture between the Italian Space Agency and Telespazio, has signed a multi-year co-operation deal with VENG, an Argentine company majority owned by the Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE). The deal is based on the distribution of data from the SAOCOM satellite constellation, with distribution in the Europe and Mediterranean area managed by the Italian Space Agency. The two companies announced the deal, April 8.

The SAOCOM constellation, consisting of the SAOCOM 1A and 1B L-band radar satellites, together with the first- and second-generation satellites of the Italian COSMO-SkyMed constellation, constitutes the Italian-Argentine Satellite System for Emergency Management (SIASGE). It is the first integrated European-American radar constellation dedicated to emergency management. The high-resolution quadripolar L-band satellites SAOCOM 1A and SAOCOM 1B provide day and night observation capabilities in all weather conditions; the L-band wavelength allows penetration of vegetation cover and soil, thus significantly expanding the range of potential applications.

The new agreement consolidates the e-GEOS role as a global distributor of SAOCOM satellite SAR data, already recognized in the collaboration initiated in 2021 between the Italian company and VENG.

“The agreement also demonstrates the strategic value of industrial cooperation between Italy and Argentina, made possible by the growing institutional dialogue between the space agencies and the contribution of the two Countries’ industrial excellence. Along this path, e-GEOS promotes long-term international partnerships focused on innovation and the growth of shared capabilities, as part of Leonardo’s commitment in Argentina, where it has been active in the space sector for over thirty years through Telespazio Argentina,” Milena Lerario, CEO, e-GEOS, said in a statement.