Posidònia

The Balearic Islands' first satellite, delivering near-real-time Earth observation for the Mediterranean

About Posidònia

Posidònia is the first satellite driven by the Balearic Islands, co-financed and operated by Open Cosmos, with funding from the European Union through the Recovery and Resilience Funds – Next Generation EU. Named after the seagrass species emblematic of the Balearic coastline, it forms part of the initial deployment of OpenConstellation 1.0, a next-generation, 15-satellite Earth observation network delivering actionable intelligence in as little as 30 minutes in emergencies.

Posidònia will support environmental, territorial and tourism management across the archipelago, strengthening the region's response to wildfires and floods, which are becoming increasingly frequent across the Mediterranean.

The mission brings together local partners including Wireless DNA, the Universitat de les Illes Balears and Garden Hotels, with support from the Federación Empresarial Hotelera de Mallorca (FEHM).

The launch of Posidònia marks a key milestone: not only does it put the first Balearic Islands satellite into orbit — something that, as a Mallorcan, fills me with particular pride — it is also one of the first steps in the deployment of OpenConstellation 1.0. Thanks to Posidònia, the Balearic Islands will be better placed to manage their territory and the impact of tourism, and to respond more rapidly to risks such as fires and floods.

— Rafel Jordà Siquier, Founder and CEO of Open Cosmos

Key Features

  • Constellation: First deployment satellite of OpenConstellation 1.0, a 15-satellite network
  • Data delivery: Under 4 hours for standard tasking; as little as 30 minutes in emergencies
  • Imaging: High-resolution multispectral and hyperspectral Earth observation
  • Onboard capabilities: AI-based data processing and inter-satellite links
  • Applications: Environmental and territorial management, tourism-pressure monitoring, disaster response, critical infrastructure monitoring
  • Launch: July 2026

Partners

Posidònia was co-financed by a coalition of Balearic institutions and businesses, funded by the European Union through the Recovery and Resilience Facility – Next Generation EU, and developed and operated by Open Cosmos:

  • Wireless DNA — local ecosystem partner
  • Universitat de les Illes Balears — academic partner
  • Garden Hotels — industry partner, tourism-management use cases
  • Federación Empresarial Hotelera de Mallorca (FEHM) — tourism-sector support
  • European Union — funded through the Recovery and Resilience Facility – Next Generation EU