Open Cosmos steps up Europe's space sovereignty game, shows off ConnectedCosmos satellites

Your satellite communications can now be less dependent on foreign powers.

Open Cosmos, a European satellite company, is enhancing space sovereignty with its ConnectedCosmos constellation. The company showcased its facilities, including a "satellite nursery" where satellites are assembled and tested. The first two ConnectedCosmos satellites were launched in January 2026, with plans to deploy over 96 by the end of 2028 and achieve full coverage by 2030. The backbone of the constellation will comprise 192 satellites, designed to offer secure, resilient connectivity and data custody for government, institutional, and commercial clients. Open Cosmos claims it can produce one satellite per day. ConnectedCosmos satellites operate above 1,000 km, resulting in latency between 30 and 80 milliseconds, making them suitable for IoT but not direct smartphone communication. The OpenConstellation service leverages ConnectedCosmos for data collection, allowing customers to assign specific tasks to satellites.

The development of Open Cosmos's ConnectedCosmos constellation signifies a growing trend towards national and regional control over critical space-based infrastructure. This is particularly relevant in an era where geopolitical tensions can disrupt established services, as seen with Starlink. Open Cosmos aims to provide a sovereign alternative for European entities concerned about data security and control, positioning itself as a key player in the burgeoning space sovereignty market. The company's ability to rapidly manufacture satellites, producing one per day, suggests a scalable and responsive approach to constellation deployment.

While ConnectedCosmos offers a resilient connectivity backbone, its operational altitude of over 1,000 km introduces latency that may limit its use for real-time, high-bandwidth applications such as direct-to-smartphone services. The focus on IoT and specific data collection tasks for government and commercial clients indicates a strategic market segmentation. This approach allows Open Cosmos to offer specialized, secure services without directly competing in the mass-market consumer connectivity space, while still building a foundation for broader future capabilities.