Portugal is getting two brand-new eyes in space.
This morning, Satellogic ($SATL) announced that it is building two satellites for a Portuguese government agency, the Centre of Engineering and Product Development (CEiiA, to use its Portuguese acronym). CEiiA paid $18M for a speedy delivery on its new tech.
- European sovereignty is at the center of the deal. Satellogic claims that the two satellites will be made up of 85% European components and support the push on the continent to own and operate more of their own space tech.
- The satellites in question will be two NewSat Mark V 50cm-class imaging birds.
- Delivery is set to happen quickly, with handoff happening to CEiiA in orbit in Q2 2026.
The two satellites will be part of the Atlantic Constellation, an initiative that Spain and Portugal are collaborating on that will put eight small EO satellites in orbit.
“Portugal and the Atlantic Constellation represent a forward-looking approach to resilient space-based intelligence,” Satellogic CEO Emiliano Kargieman said in a release. “CEiiA will benefit from the fastest EO capability deployments in the industry, backed by Satellogic’s proven manufacturing and operational track record.”
Portugal’s space ambitions: As a nation, Portugal has been stepping up its focus on space-based technology for a few years now. Its space agency was officially created in 2019 (though Portugal has been a full member of ESA since 2000). It’s contributing a record amount to ESA’s budget—€204.8M ($238.9M) for the 2026-2030 period, a 51% increase over the last budget period, according to the space agency.
And new eyes in space aren’t new for the country, either. Last month, Portugal’s Air Force signed an agreement with ICEYE to buy a SAR satellite in the branch’s first-ever satellite acquisition (and a part of the future Atlantic Constellation). CEiiA also has a strategic collaboration agreement in place with the Portuguese Air Force.
