Built under the prime contractorship of Thales Alenia Space, the Italian dual-use satellite system dedicated to Earth observation was developed under an agreement between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Italian Ministry of Defense.

COSMO-SkyMed (Constellation of four Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin Observation) is dedicated to dual-use (civilian, institutional, military and commercial) Earth Observation, with the aim of monitoring the whole globe for Civil Protection (management of environmental risks), strategic (Defense and national Security) scientific and commercial uses.
In the field of Environmental risks management, the satellite will be particularly useful for emergency, defense and national Security, with the aim of evaluating situations on a global scale.

COSMO-SkyMed constitutes an avant-garde project in the worldwide aerospace sector, equipped with a high-resolution radar capable of observing the entire globe by day and night and under any meteorological conditions. COSMO-SkyMed satellites will quickly provide high resolution images in different dimension.

One of the major innovation of COSMO-SkyMed is the special deployment method of the solar array, for which a patent has been filed: it features latest-generation triple-junction gallium-arsenide (GaAs) cells offering extremely high efficiency, plus special low-shock attachment and release devices.

Italian commitment and the technological level of our industry is such that the COSMO-SkyMed system has been entirely realised by the main companies in the aerospace sector, including small and medium enterprises. Thales Alenia Space Italia is the prime contractor responsible for the entire system, including the space and ground segment, while Telespazio is responsible for the realisation of the civil and military Earth Segments.

The four COSMO-SkyMed satellites are due for launch between 2007 and 2009 and the system should be fully operational by then. Thales Alenia Space, in agreement with its clients - ASI and the Italian Ministry of Defense - has selected Boeing Delta II carriers for the launch of the first two satellites. Both will be boosted into orbit from the Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg in California.

Italy, through its COSMO-SkyMed system, has developed important international agreements in the Earth observation domain in the military and civilian areas.

The total investment for the entire system amounts to approximately one billion Euros.