Open Cosmos Explained

Open Cosmos is a satellite mission provider and microsatellite manufacturer, focusing on Earth Observation and satellite communication missions.

History

Open Cosmos was founded by Rafal Jorda Siquier in 2015 with the stated aim of reducing the cost of access to space,^[1] and now operates bases in the UK, Spain, Portugal^[2] and Greece.

Open Cosmos has joined forces with Space Park Leicester to support in the development of the Elfen Project, which is a mission aimed at measuring solar winds, and its affect on near earth space.^[3]

In September 2023, it was announced that Open Cosmos had raised $50 million in funding from backers ETF Partners, Trill Impact and A&G, along with smaller strategic investors, including Accenture Ventures.^{[4] [5] [6]}

In July 2025, Open Cosmos acquired Portuguese start-up, Connected, which focuses on 5G NB-IoT capabilities for space.^[7]

Missions

• QB50: First Mission. Multi-point in-situ measurements of the lower Atmosphere.
• Enxaneta: Narrowband IoT mission with Sateliot
• LS2: IoT satellite for Lucuna Space, providing connectivity to ground sensors.
• DOVER: Pathfinder for GNSS-based positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solution. (Lost in UK launched Virgin Orbit mission)
• Menut: Earth observation satellite focusing on the impact of climate change.
• ALISIO-1: 6U CubeSat. SWIR imager for environmental monitoring and a laser communications module for improved data transfer.
• PLATERO: Integrating Earth observation, internet of things and machine learning for enhanced environmental monitoring.
• MANTIS: Supported by ESA and UKSA, a 12U CubeSat, combining Earth observation and machine learning to address the challenges in the energy and mining sector
• HAMMER: 6U CubeSat, combining key technologies to deliver near real-time analysis and global coverage.^[8]
• Phi-Sat-2: European Space Agency mission, alongside CGI, Ubotica, Simera CH Innovative, CEiiA, GEO-K and KP Labs. 6U Cubesat designed to show how machine learning can advance Earth observation.^{[9] [10] [11]}
• 6GStarLab: 6U CubeSat for the evaluation of 6G communication frequencies using multi-frequency devices.^[12]
• NanoMagSat: (Launching 2027) European Space Agency mission consisting of 3 x 16U CubeSats, all carrying miniaturised absolute magnetometers mounted at the end of a boom.^{[13] [14]}
• UK Atlantic Constellation Pathfinder: (Launch TBC) Ocean, Earth and Climate monitoring satellite, intended as a pathfinder towards the UK contribution to the Atlantic Constellation.^[15]
• ORPHEUS: (Launch TBC) Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) announced that it had awarded the £5.15 million Orpheus mission contract to Astroscale UK, with Open Cosmos as a subcontractor and platform provider. This mission is the successor to the Prometheus-2 and CIRCE missions that were lost aboard the Virgin Orbit launch in 2023.^[16]
• Greek government constellation: (Launch TBC) Earth observation constellation to provide high-resolution imagery to the Greek government.^[17]

External links

• • LinkedIn Account

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2018-04-18. UK start-up aims to slash the cost of satellite launches . The Daily Telegraph . 2025-08-07.
2. Web site: 2024-11-04. Open Cosmos To Expand Portuguese Footprint . Payload.
3. Web site: 2024-09-20. Satellite firm joins space park to track solar wind. BBC News.
4. Web site: 2023-09-11. Picture brightens for space start-up Open Cosmos with new funding. The Times.
5. Web site: 2023-09-12. Accenture (ACN) Adds Open Cosmos to Its Investment Portfolio. Yahoo! Finance.
6. Web site: 2023-09-11. Open Cosmos, a UK satellite startup focused on sustainability, raises $50M. TechCrunch.
7. Web site: 2025-07-03. Open Cosmos acquires Connected in landmark European spacetech exit. Tech.eu.
8. 2023-03-05. Open Cosmos launches groundbreaking Hyperspectral 'HAMMER' Satellite. Open Cosmos.
9. Web site: Introducing Φsat-2. European Space Agency.
10. Web site: 2024-08-20. AI-powered Phisat-2 launched by Open Cosmos and ESA. GIM International.
11. Web site: 2024-08-19. Open Cosmos and ESA launch AI app-powered satellite. The Engineer.
12. Web site: 2024-08-20. Open Cosmos preparing 6GStarLab satellite for launch. Electronics Weekly.
13. Web site: 2024-11-24. ESA awards development contract for NanoMagSat . European Space Agency.
14. Web site: 2024-11-27. ESA Award Open Cosmos a €34.6M for NanoMagSat Mission . European Spaceflight.
15. Web site: 2023-11-21. Space for Our Future: UK aims to join Atlantic Constellation with funding for new Earth observation satellite . GOV.UK.
16. Web site: 2025-06-11 . Dstl announces Orpheus satellite mission contract . 2025-08-08 . GOV.UK.
17. Web site: 2024-05-29. Britain's Open Cosmos wins £51m Greek satellite contract . UKTN . 2025-08-13.